Dark Moonlight
by TeamCarlisle
Summary: Picks up after Starlight... Carlisle/Esme and Edward/Bella try for having another baby. Caleb & Delilah's relationship progresses. Conflicts will occur later, but their family is adjusting to life in Minnesota while some really begin to miss Forks.
1. Thoughts Alike

Thanks for all the input everyone! I'm excited to continue. For the guest who was asking about my story, The Doctor: The Life, Loss and Love of Carlisle Cullen... I will be updating soon. I'm sorry I haven't kept up with that one as much. I just keep getting all these ideas for this one and I can't help but write them. I will update that one soon. :)

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**Chapter 1**

Spring in Minnesota wasn't overly different than spring in Washington, though the rainy days weren't quite as consistent. The biggest challenge was keeping the kids in class for as many consecutive days as possible. They would often make their way toward campus before sunrise and linger in the library, or the hallways until classes began.

Carlisle was on the night shift and it had become his regular hours, something he volunteered to stay on. Most of his co-workers had minimal interest in working nights, so he didn't have to put up much of a fight to stay there. While Esme missed his company at night, they were able to spend their days together and he was home at reasonable times that allowed him to keep up with what Caleb, Alex and the rest of them were doing in school.

Delilah remained living "permanently" on campus, though often snuck out after the staff made their rounds to make sure everyone was in their rooms for curfew. She and Caleb were happily in love and had a difficult time when forced to separate for the night. Esme had overheard Caleb on the phone for hours while Delilah was on campus and didn't hang up until he was about to leave to see her in his first period class. She was, however, slowly becoming part of their group. Aside from Michael, a number of the others made her feel more at home, particularly Emmett, William, Mackenzie and Nicole.

Alex was still skeptical of the girl who had started out trying to play her brother, though after an early morning one day before school where Delilah showed them a number of underground tunnels she had discovered that led from building to building, Alex had thought her to be a little "cooler". She was beginning to accept her as part of their family, mainly through the encouraging words of Michael and the constant reassurance of Edward.

Carlisle and Esme tried keeping their casual plans for a baby in the dark from everyone, though they were certain from the subtle comments of everyone that Edward and Alice had inadvertently spread the news. Esme had wanted to speak with their children, Caleb particularly, but Alex as well, though she hadn't quite yet.

"I'm off to work," Carlisle said, straitening the collar of his shirt. He looked at the clock, which showed it was a few minutes before eleven-thirty.

"Call me when you get there," Esme told him, running her hands over a leftover wrinkle on the sleeve of his shirt.

He looked down, "Do I need to re-iron it?"

She snickered and kissed him, "No. Just maybe let me do it next time." Her voice was playful and teasing and made him laugh.

"Okay." He kissed her a few more times in a row as they stood by the front door. "Call me if anything... happens."

"I will," Esme assured him.

The two of them shared a smile before he made his way outside toward the garage.

"Hamlet test," Caleb said, nearly bumping into Esme as she rounded back toward the living room.

"In the morning?" she asked.

"First period," he said, handing her a sheet full of notes and sample questions.

"You're already finishing up the book?"

Caleb nodded, "Yeah. We've been reading it for over a month now."

Esme scanned the questions and Caleb put an arm over her shoulders. She smiled and placed her arm around his waist as they walked until reaching the kitchen table where other papers were scattered and Mackenzie sat.

"Can you quiz us?" she asked.

"Of course," Esme told them with a smile.

"Just like the old days back in the Forks classroom," Caleb told her, taking a seat in one of the high chairs.

She laughed, "Miss those days?" Her eyes drifted toward both of them.

"Yes," Mackenzie said with a nod, "I miss Forks a lot actually."

"Me too," Caleb said.

"We'll move back some day," Esme assured them, "And once school's out maybe we'll go spend a month out there. What do you think?"

"Yeah," they both said with smiles at the same time.

She smiled back and began reading over the questions that Caleb handed her, then spent the next forty-five minutes or so helping them prepare for the test they had in the morning. When the two of them felt satisfied and ready, Esme reached for a course syllabus that was left out.

"What are you reading next?" she asked.

"Caleb and Delilah, I think," Mackenzie said, looking over at him with a smile.

"What?" Esme asked with a grin, seeing him toss a balled up piece of paper at her.

"Romeo and Juliet," he said, shaking his head.

Mackenzie snickered and threw the paper back at him. Caleb turned and it hit him in the face, making Esme laugh lightly.

"Mom, she's being mean to me," he said.

"I believe you started it," she said, raising her eyebrows with a smile.

Caleb smirked and shook his head, then gathered up their notes and tucked them back into a folder while Mackenzie did the same.

"Okay, I'm going to call-" he started.

"Delilah," Mackenzie finished, still teasing him.

Esme stood up and smiled, as the two of them began to make their way toward other parts of the house.

"I'm just kidding," Mackenzie said, draping an arm over them as they walked, "She's alright."

"Yeah, yeah..." Caleb said, shaking his head, then called out over his shoulder, "Thanks Mom!"

"Yeah, thanks!" Mackenzie added.

"You're welcome kids," Esme said. She sighed and straitened up the kitchen table, readjusting the napkin holder, candles and table runner.

Edward strolled in with a smile and looked at her, immediately helping as she was yet to get things perfectly as they were before. "So, I would like to talk with you about something, if that's alright."

She laughed, "If that's alright? Of course it's alright.'

"Alright." He smiled, purposely saying the word again.

Esme sat back down in one of the chairs and Edward sat across from her. "Why does this feel like an interrogation?" she asked with a laugh.

"It's not," he assured her, grinning, then pointed up, "Though the bright light doesn't exactly help."

She laughed and lightly placed her hands over his for a moment, before slightly readjusting the candles on the table top again.

Edward lowered his voice, "I know about your plans with Carlisle," he said, "Obviously."

Esme shrugged and nodded.

"Bella and I were kind of thinking along the same lines. I don't think there's another eclipse until July, or maybe the last week of June, but-"

Esme had to control the excitement in her voice, but managed to do so, so she wouldn't spread Edward's thoughts to the whole house. "You're going to have a baby?" she asked with a smile, whispering as she did.

He laughed, knowing from her rapid-fire thoughts that she was perhaps more excited than he was. "Yeah, I think so," he whispered. "Bella was all nervous to talk about it because, well, I'll be honest I told her that you and Carlisle were too."

Esme laughed and got up from the table to hug him, "Are you kidding?" she asked, unable to hide a smile as she continued to whisper excitedly, "I've been _waiting_ for you to come to me with this kind of news."

Edward laughed again and winced from the force of Esme's hug, making him laugh even harder.

"Oh sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean to hug you so hard."

"I don't want to say it's a secret," he said, "Because it's really not, but I haven't mentioned this to anyone but Alice."

Esme put her hand over her mouth for a moment to let him know that she wouldn't say anything, "Can I tell Carlisle?"

Edward nodded with a smile, "Yeah, that's fine."

"Or were you planning to?"

"No, it's fine," he told her again, "I'm going to talk to him but you can tell him. It's not going to happen for a little while anyway, but I just wanted to talk to you about it."

Esme hugged him again and kissed him on the cheek. "And tell Bella not to be silly. She should enjoy it!"

"I'll tell her," Edward whispered.

Esme smiled and the two of them stood there for a moment in silence until Edward broke it with a chuckle, causing Esme to do the same.

"Want to watch a movie with us?" he asked.

She nodded, "Sure."

Edward held out his arm and she linked hers through it as they headed toward the living room.


	2. Poolside Surprise

**Chapter 2**

Delilah took a part time job working at the school's kitchen after class. She had always thought it was right to earn her way through life, and it was only through the Volturi that she had strayed from doing that. She had worked since she was practically thirteen, doing odd jobs and collecting minimal cash under the table. Now, she felt like she was doing the right thing by working just a short three hour shift after school each day, getting paid nine dollars an hour. Friday night's shift was always six to nine, rather than three to six because there always seemed to be some type of after school banquet or activity.

"Hey Del," Milly Shaw, the head of the school's food industry called, "There's something for you in the back room."

Delilah looked up at the clock, "Okay, thanks Mrs. Shaw. I'll head over there in fifteen minutes when my shift's up."

"Ehh, I'll clock you out," she told her in a raspy smoker's voice, "You can head out a few minutes early tonight. It's almost nine."

She smiled and looked down into the sink where suds crept up toward her elbows, "But there's still all this to clean."

"I've got it," Milly told her with a smile.

Delilah grinned, "Okay. Thank you."

The two of them had developed a great working relationship, primarily due to Delilah's strong work ethic. She never made excuses and was always on time, generally leaving a little late each day to make sure her duties were done correctly. In turn, Milly showed her appreciation in times like this to let Delilah know her efforts hadn't gone unrecognized.

She washed her hands and thanked her boss again before heading down towards the dimly lit back room. A light bulb that wasn't screwed in properly began to flicker and twitch, giving off an almost eerie effect, so Delilah twisted it the rest of the way and glanced over a dozen roses that waited with a card for her on a small bench that sat in the far corner of the room.

A smile crossed her face and she picked up the bouquet, putting them to her face, before opening the card. She smiled instantly as it revealed a home made map that lead to one of the tunnels that she and Caleb had made a frequent spot to make out in to have some sneaky, fun privacy. She couldn't tell from the drawing where the ending spot was. The fact that she had to search a little made things all the more interesting and Delilah felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

She unclipped her hair, allowing it drape down the length of her face and took off her apron before beginning her journey through Caleb's mystery map.

The first step led her to the kitchen's basement, where a secret door led to one of the tunnels she had shown him after working late one night. She followed it as far as it went, taking her up a flight of six or seven stairs. Just above them was a door with a small box that sat directly in front of it.

Delilah smiled, still carrying the flowers and the map, then reached down to grab the box. On the piece of paper he'd drawn up, there was a star drawn at the location, and she assumed it was to fill her in that there was a gift left for her at that spot. She opened the box, which revealed a small locket necklace with their picture inside a tiny, silver heart. A smile crossed her face and she was tempted to put it on, but didn't want to accidentally lose the charm trying to fuss with it in the darkness, so she continued on upon placing it back inside the box.

At the next location through the twists and turns of the academy's "underworld", Delilah found a close-up picture of the two of them surrounded by a cute, black frame with the word 'love' written in silver across the top. She smiled wide and knew that one of the girls had probably found the picture frame and set it up for him.

While she still felt like there were butterflies in her stomach from all the unknowns he was leading her through, there was a part of her that was just longing to see if he was waiting for her at the end. Delilah tilted her head slightly to read the last few steps and stopped to make sure she was going in the right direction. An arrow pointed to the right of where she currently stood, and she could barely make out that there was a door there.

_I've never been this way_, she thought, but pulled it open without hesitation, knowing she had to take that step to find him. A light laugh left her mouth as she broke into a more familiar underground hallway. She was now completely aware of her surroundings; the original tunnel she had found going from the library to the pool. She didn't know there was another door that went elsewhere about halfway up.

Delilah glanced at that map, but she knew she had to take a right. She swallowed hard as she took each step up toward the door that led to the pool. Like always, the familiar smell of chlorine became apparent. She stood outside the door, taking in a deep breath and just barely catching Caleb's scent over the strength of the pool smell. A moment later, she pushed open the door and glanced down at the map, seeing it was where it ended.

Her arms were full of the little gifts he'd left her and she smiled wide when he stood in front of her with another bouquet of roses. Delilah's heart could have stopped from how sincere his gesture was, and how incredibly cute he looked holding the flowers in his light blue button down shirt and jeans.

She laughed a put a hand over her mouth, "Oh my gosh, Caleb."

He shrugged shyly and held a closed-mouth half smile. "Did you find your way alright?" he asked, "I know the map wasn't drawn out so great."

Delilah giggled again, unable to stop, "Yes. It was fine. It was perfect."

Caleb held his hand out with the second bouquet of flowers and she took them, hugging him just after, despite having her hands full.

"Two things of flowers?" she asked.

"Ordinary girls get a dozen roses," Caleb told her, "You're far from ordinary."

Delilah looked into his golden eyes and kissed him once on the lips, taking her time to separate from him. A long sigh left her mouth and she placed everything down on the bleacher nearby.

"Did you find the necklace?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded, "I love it. Can you help me put it on."

Caleb nodded back and Delilah removed it from the box. He swiftly latched it against the back of her neck before she turned to face him again. "Thank you Caleb," she told him, getting a heavy feeling in the pit of her chest, "I'm so lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one," he told her.

She shook her head, "No one has ever done something like this for me before. Aside from my grandmother, I really never felt like anyone cared for me before."

"So I remind you of your grandmother?" Caleb joked, then kissed her as she was about to explain herself. He smiled and snickered, "I'm just teasing."

Delilah laughed, catching up to his joke and pulled him to her again. "I'm sorry," she said, looking down, "For lying to you in the beginning."

Caleb tilted her chin up to meet his stare, "It's okay. We're past that. Way past that."

She sighed and hugged him, leaning up against his chest. "You smell so good," she told him.

He took in a deep breath, thinking the same thing of her. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead before she looked back up toward him and kissed him again, this time more forcefully.

"I love our little meeting spots," she told him, smiling as they simultaneously broke off the kiss.

Caleb chuckled, "Me too. The tunnels are the only places we have where no one bothers us."

"And now the pool," Delilah said. "This is where we had our first kiss."

"And you ran away screaming," he teased with a laugh.

Delilah laughed back, "No I didn't."

"Well, not the screaming part." He took her back in his arms and Delilah felt like she could keep her lips locked with his forever.

"So, are we going to get in trouble for being in here?" she asked him, looking around the large pool area. Her eyes focused on the lights that were strung along the perimeter of the place, which provided the most lighting in the otherwise dark, oversized room. The only other lights were beneath the water, giving the pool itself an almost tropical, aqua glow.

"Custodians already passed through and cleaned up in here. They'll be gone for the rest of the time," Caleb assured her, "Not that we wouldn't be able to hear them coming from a mile away. Plus it's Friday, so they're short-staffed since half of the crew comes in Saturday morning to clean."

"How do you know all this?" Delilah asked him with a laugh.

"Oh, this was a carefully thought out plan," Caleb told her with a smile, pointing to his temple to indicate how intelligent he was.

She laughed and locked her hands behind his neck. "So what is the carefully thought out plan?"

Caleb's eyes roamed around the empty space, then met hers again, "Well, this is pretty much it," he laughed.

"I see, I see," she went on, "You brought me here to get me alone?"

He shrugged, "Perhaps."

The two of them stared at each other for another moment before they started laughing at the same time.

"What do you say we take a dip?" she asked.

Caleb smiled and looked toward the water. He snickered, "I don't have my bathing suit."

"Wearing boxers?" she asked.

He laughed again shyly, "Uh... yeah."

Delilah shrugged, "Well I have to admit that I have a pink sports bra on under here," she fiddled with her sweatshirt, "And I guess the underwear I have on everyone calls "booty short" or "boy shorts", whatever."

"Hmm..." he laughed with a slight hint of nervousness that echoed out of his chest.

"Basically what I'm saying is, everything covers the same as a bathing suit... probably more actually."

Caleb's eyes looked toward the water again and the looked back at Delilah, who smiled eagerly at him. The thought of swimming around with her excited him and he briefly broke their contact so he could step out of his shoes.

Delilah smirked and did the same.

Caleb felt his jaw tighten and butterflies develop in his stomach when she tossed her sweatshirt to the side. The feelings intensified when she took the initiative to unbutton his shirt.

Without warning, she had pushed herself away from him, removing her jeans in the same motion and had slunk into the pool without so much as a splash. He stared in her direction in mild awe, then decided he should waste no time. For a moment he was reluctant to take off his pants, but decided to go with it and found the courage to slide into the water in his boxers. He was secretly thankful that he had chosen black rather than white earlier that morning.

Delilah called him from across the pool, where she finally came up for an unnecessary breath and brushed her hair back. "Come on Caleb!"

He stood with a smile in the shallow end of the pool before taking a deep breath and going under. When he popped back up, he was right beside her and Delilah laugh, entwining her legs with his beneath the water.

Caleb sighed and kissed her, attempting to lightly pin her between him and side of the pool.

Delilah smiled amidst their playful kissing and decided to play a flirty game with him, ducking away and making her way to the other side of the pool. She laughed when he opened his eyes in surprise and she wasn't there.

While he wanted her to be in his arms, the nervous feeling he had in the pit of his stomach allowed him to equally appreciate the distance she created so he wouldn't be put in the position to make a move that he wasn't sure he was ready for. From the way things carried on, it appeared as though Delilah was on the same page, and the two of them enjoyed each other's company for the rest of their time in the pool with innocent touches, half-heartedly intense kisses and lots of conversation that allowed them to continue to find out more about each other.

When they parted for the evening, Caleb walked Delilah toward the window of her room and smiled.

"I had so much fun tonight," she told him sincerely, unable to hide the happiness that radiated out of her expression.

"Me too," he told her.

Delilah stepped up onto her toes to reach his lips and kissed him more intensely than she had all night. A sigh left her mouth when she stopped and she looked at him, "Call me when you get home."

"Okay," he told her, "You know, you can come over whenever you want."

"I know," she said with a nod, "I just don't want to impose on your family all the time. I feel like I'm there all the time."

"In the morning then?" Caleb asked, "My mom will sign you out to come by."

Delilah nodded, "Okay."

"And if you feel like _sneaking_ out, then let me know and I'll help you." He smiled at her again and took her lips with his.

"Sounds good," she said, fiddling again with the collar of his shirt. "I love you."

"I love you too."

The two of them took another few minutes, not eager to part, before Delilah scampered up the side of the building and into her window.

Caleb smiled and waved before making his way back home. He felt a strong need to talk to his brothers, and the other guys in the house.


	3. Poker and Pool

**Chapter 3**

When Caleb got home, he found that a lot of the men in the family were gathered around a large table, each with a hand of cards. His father sat with Edward on his left and Emmett on his right. On the other side of Emmett was Jasper, then William and Michael. Rosalie was the only woman at the table amongst them all and sat directly across from Emmett with a glass of wine just in front of her on the table.

Scattered all around were bottles of wine, and each of them had a glass. Emmett's was in a semi-tall beer mug, rather than a wine glass and he took a long sip before giving Caleb a wave.

"Anyone want to turn the music up a little?" he asked, "How about the cheater?" Emmett raised his eyebrows at Edward, who shook his head.

Carlisle snickered and took it upon himself to get up to turn up the volume on whoever's I-pod was plugged into the small stereo on the countertop. He then returned to his seat and realized then that Caleb had entered the room.

"Caleb," he said with a wave.

He waved back and smiled, still coming off his happy-high from being out with Delilah. There was a part of him that was a little disappointed because he wanted to talk to just about any one of them at the table about his feelings for her, but decided that everyone was relaxed and enjoying themselves, so he decided to wait.

"Hey Dad," Caleb walked over and reached his hand out to give him a casual handshake, then high-fived Emmett who was reaching his hand out as far as he could.

Carlisle looked over his shoulder and laughed, "Edward's the cheater huh?" he asked, placing his cards face down on the table.

"What?" Emmett asked, smiling wide to reveal in non-so-innocent dimples.

Rosalie tossed a poker chip at him, "No cheating!"

He laughed and Caleb smiled at everyone.

"Join us Caleb!" William encouraged, "You just can't have any of this." He raised his glass, "Unless your dad says it's okay."

"I'm good," he said with a laugh, "I'm going to go do some reading upstairs."

"You are _so_ Carlisle's kid," Rosalie said with a laugh.

Caleb shrugged and smiled, "Have fun. Rosalie, I hope you win."

"What!?" Emmett called out, taking another swig from his glass.

Caleb laughed again and looked at his father, then made his way towards other parts of the house. He heard all the women of the house chatting and laughing. There was an occasional splash and he knew they were all sitting around in the pool together, watching whatever was on the flat screen that hung on the wall.

"Oh, I love this part, it's so funny," Alice's voice called, as Caleb rounded into the room. "Caleb!" she shrieked, "How are _you_ doing this evening?"

He smiled and looked down, aware that Alice had previously known about his plan and most likely had a vision of his night date with Delilah. "I'm good." He looked at the screen and saw they were watching the movie _The Proposal_ with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

"How was your date with Delilah?" Esme asked. She didn't know all of what he had planned, but had heard some of it from Alice and Alex.

"It was... fine," he said with a shrug.

"More than fine," Alice said with a wink, drawing an almost concerned look from Esme. "Oh, nothing bad. Just some kisses, and romantic gestures by our little heart throb over here. Two dozen roses for an extraordinary girl..."

Caleb began to laugh at Alice's teasing and he shrugged, "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing at all," she told him, "I loved the idea. Good work, Caleb."

Esme smiled and looked at him, "Is she coming over?"

"Not tonight," he said, "She feel like she imposes on everyone."

"We'll have to have a chat with her and set her straight about that," Nicole said, rolling her eyes. "We could have an army in this house and no one would be crowded."

Esme agreed, "Tell her that she can come over whenever she'd like. She's not imposing at all."

"I told her," Caleb said with a shrug, "But is it okay if she comes by in the morning."

Alexandra jokingly put her thumbs down and Caleb cocked his head and gave her a look. "I'm kidding," his sister assured him.

"That's fine," Esme said, "Will I need to sign her out?"

He nodded, "If that's okay."

She smiled, "That's fine."

There was a loud slam from the other room and an excited yell from Emmett, "Yes!" he called out, "Yes! Yes!"

Alice and Esme exchanged a glance and laughed.

"I guess our guys aren't doing so well," Alice said, hearing Emmett round up the poker chips on the table.

"Guess not," Esme said.

"Michael never wins when they play," Alex complained, then laughed.

"How does Edward not win every single time?" Mackenzie asked.

"He tries to block everything out," Esme told them.

"I've tried to block their thoughts from his mind, but I guess winning at poker isn't really anyone's necessity," Alex told them all.

Caleb's eyes drifted up toward the television again and Alice smiled. "Caleb, join us."

He shrugged.

"Or have you gotten enough swimming in for one night?"

Caleb couldn't help but smile, then walked out of the room. "Let me go get my suit." He went up to his room, called Delilah quickly, then made his way back down into the pool area with his swim trunks on.

"Nothing yet huh?" Alice asked Esme casually.

Esme raised her eyebrows and shook her head subtly.

"Nothing yet what?" Caleb asked, slinking himself down into the pool. He leaned his arms up on the sides.

"Just... nothing yet," Alice said, smiling at him, wanting to bite her tongue.

"Nothing yet for what?" Nicole echoed Caleb.

"Nothing," Alice said with a laugh.

"Surprise party?" Nicole asked her mother, narrowing her eyes with a grin.

"Yep," Alice nodded.

Caleb and Alex exchanged a glance and Caleb looked back at Alice, knowing she was lying.

Esme thought for a moment, and decided that maybe it wasn't a terrible time to run the idea of her having another baby by her two children. Alice already knew, and if it did happen, then there wouldn't be much of a secret. For some reason, expressing it out loud to them was harder than she had anticipated; much harder than speaking with Alice or Rosalie about it.

"Um..." she started, "I guess we could talk about this a little now."

Alice smiled and shrugged, then went under the water for a moment and resurfaced, wiping the water away from her eyes. Caleb laughed at her hair and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"What's up Mom?" Alex asked.

She sighed and decided there was no use trying to go around the subject. She wanted to be honest with them, and realized that Alexandra had already gone through this with Caleb, though she wasn't quite sure what Caleb would say. He was still "the baby" in her eyes, and she knew he had already just dealt with some big changes in his life. Again, she second-guessed whether or not it was fair to him, but had had the same feeling regarding Masen when she and Carlisle had planned for Alexandra.

Alice's casual demeanor on the matter somewhat eased Esme's mind, as she seemed in a trance by the movie on the screen, hardly paying attention to what Esme was about to say. For whatever reason, it gave Esme a sudden bout of confidence and she just said it.

"What would you think if..." she paused, "Well, if your dad and I decided to..." she shrugged and looked at Caleb, "... have another baby?"


	4. Family Fun

**Chapter 4**

Caleb looked at Alex and she looked back at him, and a smile formed on her face, then she looked at her mother. She laughed, "I overheard you and Dad talking one day, so I kind of knew this was coming." She shrugged, "I think I'm far more ready to babysit this time around. This one over here was a handful the one or two times I watched him."

Alice smiled, taking her attention off the television. She looked at Caleb. "So...?"

Esme was pleased by her daughter's reaction, she was now waiting for what Caleb would say. She knew it would have been far easier to talk about if they were little, though those days were extremely limited. "I don't know if it's going to happen right away, but we've just... discussed it, that's all."

He shrugged and scrunched his nose with a smirk, "That's cool, I guess. As long as it's like... an immaculate conception like in the Bible."

Alice began to laugh and looked at Nicole.

"I'm excited," Nicole said, "I hope you have a girl."

"Me too," said Mackenzie. She looked at Alex, who nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Definitely a girl. I wonder if we can make that happen with the eclipse or something..." Her voice trailed off thoughtfully.

Esme laughed, "If this even happens, that part will just have to be left to, fate, I guess."

"So, when are you going to decide?" Caleb asked.

"Jasper that is not fair you can sense my anxiousness!" Emmett shouted from the other room.

"Doesn't help you get back your chips, now does it?" Jasper said back with a laugh.

"Ooo yay!" Alice said, clapping her hands.

Caleb smiled at his mother, as he could tell she was still trying to read him. He laughed, "I'm fine Mom. It'll be cool to have a younger brother." He looked at around at all the girls, who shook their heads, still in favor of a girl.

Esme finally managed a smile at him.

"Besides," he said, but Alice finished his sentence before could continue.

"He's on top of the world anyway," she said with a wink. "Caleb, I miss the days when I was the love interest in your life."

He and Esme both began to laugh. "Oh, do you remember when he colored in that cat picture around Halloween and named it Alice?" she asked.

Alice laughed and looked at him, "Aww Caleb, and you spelled my name A-L-I-S-S."

The rest of the girls began to giggle and laugh, and Caleb shook his head with a smile. "I knew coming into the pool with all girls was a mistake." He went under the water and resurfaced.

"You love us," Nicole told him, shaking her head.

He splashed some water at her and she splashed back. The two of them stared at each other and Nicole challenged him with her eyes before they ended up coming to a sort of truce.

"You're all cheaters, I quit," Emmett said, drawing laughter from everyone, Rosalie included.

Everyone heard his rapid footsteps and a second later he was diving over the top of Caleb, wearing just the shorts he had on, splashing pretty much everyone in the pool.

"My dad take all your money?" Nicole teased.

Emmett made a face and crossed the pool to try to dunk her. She laughed and screamed and tried to get away.

Alice began to laugh, as did everyone else as she fought to keep him away.

Upstairs, Caleb heard his phone begin to go off and he looked up, then got out of the pool.

Emmett began to sing the song _Hey There Delilah_, making Alex laugh the hardest out of everyone.

"Caleb, you should totally sing that song to her," she told her brother.

"Shut up," he said with a smile, then looked at Emmett, "Want to go hunting with me in a little bit?"

Emmett looked around, noticing Esme's eyes on him. He shrugged, "Yeah sure." He knew something was up, but guessed Caleb was just looking for some male bonding.

"Cool," Caleb said, reaching for a towel on a stack in the corner of the room. He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist.

"When we going?" Emmett asked him.

"Whenever you're done," Caleb said, "Doesn't matter."

"Half hour, forty-five minutes?"

He nodded, "Yeah, sure."

Esme looked at her son, wanting to talk a little more, but allowed him to go upstairs to take the phone call from who she assumed was Delilah. She smiled as he left, crossing out of the room as everyone else entered.

"Where's Bella?" Esme asked, seeing that Edward was the first to come into the room.

"Hunting with Madison," he told her with a grin.

"So, I hear you were taking all of Emmett's money," Alice said to Jasper, swimming across the way so she leaned up against the side of the pool staring up at him.

"You heard correctly," he told her with a lopsided grin.

"Taking me out somewhere nice?" she asked flirtatiously.

"Only if you wear the new cocktail dress you just bought." He gave her a wink.

Nicole made a teasing noise of disapproval of their flirty behavior and disappeared under the water.

Edward chuckled and looked at his sister, before Rosalie winked at Alice and pushed him into the pool with all of his clothes on.

Carlisle, Jasper, Michael and William all backed away from the side with shocked smiles and Edward resurfaced to a fit of laughter, mainly from the girls.

"I knew you were going to do that just before you did," he told her, shaking his head. "I was trying to pull you in with me, but I couldn't."

Rosalie smiled and laughed, "Gotcha," she said, "That's what you get for reading my cards."

Edward reached down and pulled his I-phone out of his pocket, "Yeah, thanks Rose." He managed a smile, but tried to make her feel bad, "I guess I won't be speaking with Renesme any time soon." He raised his eyebrows.

Alexandra pushed herself up out of the pool and rushed to Michael, who nearly jumped as he was kind of suspecting she may try to push him in, too. "I'm not going to push you in," she told him, "But you should get your suit and join us."

He shrugged and smiled, "Alright," then looked over his shoulder as Rosalie passed behind him, purposely lingering over his shoulder to make him nervous.

Michael laughed, "I feel like the two of you are planning against me right now." He began to laugh and Rosalie winked at Alex with a smile, but kept walking.

Edward climbed out of the pool and darted toward Rosalie, who laughed and put her hands up. "Edward, I swear if you do..."

"What?" he asked, slowly walking in her direction.

"I'll hurt you."

Emmett began to laugh, "She's not kidding."

Edward began to chuckle and rang his shirt out a little before removing his shoes and socks.

"Want to go hunting Edward?" Emmett asked.

Edward looked at him, then shrugged, "Alright." His mind quickly caught up with Emmett's and he realized that Caleb wanted to talk. "Oh... yeah, sure."

Esme looked at Carlisle and he rounded his way to her side of the pool, sensing she wanted to talk to him.

"Go get your suit," Alexandra said to Michael again.

He smirked and kissed her once, "Okay."

"I'm going to change," Edward said, glaring at Rosalie teasingly before he smiled and turned around.

"Wait," Esme called, "Edward, take off your clothes."

He turned around and Emmett and Rosalie started laughing hysterically. Alice and Jasper took a second to catch up on her word choice and Edward began to smile, before chuckling again himself.

Carlisle let the joke register in his mind for a second and then joined in on their laughter and looked down at Esme. She smiled and shook her head.

"I meant so he wouldn't track water through the house," she said, "And I didn't mean _all_ of his clothes."

"Digging yourself deeper Mom," Alex said with a laugh.

"Carlisle, there's something I have to tell you..." Edward said jokingly.

Esme splashed water at him, as he now stood on the ledge of the opposite side. She shook her head. "That's not what I meant."

Edward did as she asked and threw a towel over himself before stripping down to as little as he could without drawing any further comments from Rosalie or any of them. He grabbed his useless phone from where it sat by the towels and left the area with his wet clothes in hand.

"Hunting?" Rosalie asked Emmett, as he bobbed up and down in the deep end.

"Guys trip only babe," he told her with a grin, "Sorry."

"Ohhh..." she said, "Gotcha."

Esme looked up at Carlisle, then lifted herself out of the pool. "Let's talk for a minute," she whispered quietly, seeming to draw no attention toward them. She made her way toward where Alex stood by the towels and grabbed one, throwing it around herself.

"Have fun kids," she said, smiling at her daughter as she began to walk toward the door the led out of the room. Edward smirked and raised his eyebrows at them as they left, and they weren't sure why until they heard Rosalie's scream, followed by a splash.

Carlisle began to laugh and put his arm around Esme as they walked.

"Did you win?" she asked him, referring to the poker game.

He shook his head, "Nope."

Esme laughed and tucked her hand around his waist. She sighed as the two of them passed by Caleb's room. The door was closed and he was chatting with Delilah on the phone.

He looked at as they passed by before eventually making their way down to their room.

Esme closed the door and whispered, "Find out from Edward what their boys hunting trip is all about."

Carlisle began to laugh quietly, "Okay."

"I'm serious," she said, "Find out what he wants to talk to Emmett about."

"He wants to talk to Emmett?"

She nodded, "Yes."

He sighed, still smiling and nodded, "Okay."

Esme gave him a look until he straitened up a bit, but still couldn't hold back a smile.

"Okay," he repeated with more reassurance.

She nodded and smiled, feeling satisfied by his answer, then went to go change out of her swimsuit.


	5. Brothers Stick Together

**Chapter 5**

Emmett was eager to hear Caleb's thoughts, though Edward was far ahead of him. He already knew what he wanted to speak with them about, but didn't say anything to let Caleb approach the matter on his own terms.

The three of them hunted before Emmett finally approached him. "What's up Caleb?" he asked sincerely, "What's going on man?"

Caleb looked at him and shrugged, then looked at Edward. He then looked around the woods to make sure no one could hear them in the Minnesota mountains, despite the fact that no one was around for miles.

"You can tell us," Emmett said with a ring of encouragement. He looked over his shoulder as a response to Caleb's fidgeting.

"Well," he said shyly, scratching his head for a moment, "I've been thinking a lot about things... with Delilah."

Emmett smiled, unable to hold one back, but he didn't tease him. "Yeah?"

Caleb nodded, "Yeah." He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets, "How did you guys know... like... when you were kind of ready for that next step? I mean... you know what I mean?"

Emmett put a hand on his shoulder and exchanged a look with Edward. "Things are slightly different now than when Rose and I were married."

"Yeah, I know," he said.

"I kind of forced Bella to wait until the two of us were married," Edward said, "But I'm from a different time. If she had it her way..." He snickered and shrugged.

"She wouldn't have waited until you were married?" Caleb asked.

Emmett looked at Edward, who decided to just be honest. He shook his head, "No. And I almost obliged to her requests."

"Is it wrong?"

"Alice and Jasper weren't married," Emmett said. He looked around and chuckled, "Neither were William and Madison, Michael or Alex or Masen and Leah." He laughed, sensing he possible shared too much about his siblings with him.

Caleb shuddered at his sister's name, but the notion of the information made him feel a little better. "I wouldn't even know what I was doing," he admitted, shaking his head.

"I think that's everyone's fear, guy's in particular," Edward said, smiling, "I felt the same way."

"So, how did you know when, you know... when to go ahead and just do it?"

Emmett began to laugh, "I think you'll just know. You still seem a little guarded when it comes to the topic, and rightfully so. When you feel more comfortable, and even more importantly when she feels comfortable with it, then you'll know."

Caleb leaned up against a tree and crossed one foot over the other, then did the same with his arms. "We were at the pool at the school tonight just swimming around and there were a few times I was so scared she was going to be the one to make the first move. I honestly think I'm ready for it. I'm just nervous that I'm not going to be good at it."

The two of them laughed, but Caleb just looked at them.

"When that time rolls around, you'll be fine," Emmett told him, "For now, just enjoy having someone special in your life. Do what you've been doing. Treat her as special as you have and don't worry about the rest right now. Whenever it is that you take that next step, you'll know it's right at that time. Don't force it. Just let things happen. They will... in time."

Edward nodded and looked at his brother, then to Caleb who pushed lightly off the tree. He smiled at the two of them.

"That was actually really helpful," he told them. "Yeah, maybe I'm just thinking too much into it."

The two of them nodded.

Emmett held his hand out and Caleb gave him a high-five before Emmett brought him in for a quick hug. "You'll be fine man."

Edward smiled at them. He then chuckled for a moment upon reading Caleb's thoughts. "I won't say anything about this conversation to anyone; your parents included."

"What if they ask you?"

"I'll just tell them you were wondering how you could go about asking Delilah to the prom in an elaborate way."

Caleb laughed, "Alright."

Edward and Emmett both laughed and the three of them headed back toward home.

"Thanks," Caleb told them again.

...

Esme sat across the couch with her feet up on Carlisle's lap. He traced over the pattern in her socks with his thumbs, while watching the previews of the movie she and Rosalie had chosen. Bella, too, had made her way into the room and looked comfortable in a big chair next to the sectional couch they'd purchased.

"No work tonight?" Rosalie asked, looking at Carlisle.

"No." He shook his head.

"I told Alex and Caleb," Esme told him.

Carlisle looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Told them... what?" Rosalie asked, pretending not to know, but smiled.

Esme smiled and shook her head, "I know you know already."

Bella looked the other way so she wouldn't feel like she was eavesdropping

"What'd they say?" Carlisle asked, glancing at Rosalie for a moment before he refocused on Esme.

She shrugged, "They were fine. It was kind of casual in conversation, not really a talk about it, but they were fine."

"Caleb... what did he have to say?"

"He said he'd like another brother."

The two of them talked quietly out of habit, then focused on the opening of the movie. Carlisle continued to run his hands up and down her calves.

Rosalie glanced at Bella and smiled.

"When are the guys coming back?" Rosalie asked, wanting to cuddle up with Emmett upon seeing Carlisle and Esme remaining cozy together on the couch.

"I don't know," Bella said, "Edward can't call me..." She smiled, not usually so bold in her teasing with Rosalie.

Rosalie couldn't help but smile and laugh. "He got me back."

Bella laughed, "I know."

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other and both smiled. He gave her ankle a squeeze before continuing with the light-hearted massage.

One of the doors opened and shut and a moment later, Edward, Emmett and Caleb returned. Rosalie perked up.

"Come watch a movie with us Em," she said with a grin.

He smiled back, not asking questions and kicked off his shoes before hopping on the couch beside her. Edward followed his lead without so much as a word from Bella and tossed a blanket over the two of them before pulling her into his lap on the chair. She smiled and he kissed her on the cheek.

Esme sat upright and patted the couch next to her, "Come watch a movie with your mom," she said to Caleb.

He grinned and nodded, joining his parents on the end of the couch.

Carlisle smiled, seeing she was happy that he was eager to stay and spend some time with them.

"Caleb just ran some ideas by us while we were hunting," Emmett said. He looked at Edward.

"Yeah, he wanted our opinion on how to elaborately ask Delilah to her junior prom," Edward added. He smiled coolly and Caleb looked at him with a smile.

Right away, Edward could see both Carlisle and Esme relax at the thought that it was all he wanted to speak with them about. As much as he hated lying to them, he realized that sometimes brothers just had to stick together.


	6. Welcome Visitors

**Chapter 6**

Masen, Leah, Cassandra, Jacob and Renesme took a flight out to Minnesota to visit for the first time. While Bella and Edward, as well as Carlisle and Esme had dropped into Forks a few times since moving, they thought it was only right to make the trip to see where their family lived.

Esme smothered all of them when they pulled up the long driveway, beginning with Cassandra and ending with Masen. She took his face in her hand and looked at him as if she hadn't in decades.

"Cassandra," she gushed, "You're so beautiful." She ran a hand through her strait, dark hair, making her granddaughter grin.

"Thanks," she said with a wide smile, then ran to greet all the girls.

"This is even bigger than it looks in the pictures," Leah said with a laugh.

"Yeah, how do you not get lost inside," Masen joked, glancing up toward the oversized house, "This place is a mansion... literally."

"Tell me about it," Esme said, "I was a little overwhelmed when we first moved in but it feels like home now."

"As much as Forks?" Leah asked, still grinning.

"Nothing will ever feel quite as 'home' as Forks," Esme told her, bringing her in for a hug, "I've missed you guys."

"We miss you too," she told her.

Jacob and Renesme were laughing with Edward and Bella, and Masen made his way to his father, sharing a big hug and a smile.

"Nice house," Masen said again, raising his eyebrows.

Carlisle looked down and nodded, "Over the top, isn't it?"

"Rose's choice?" he asked wit ha laugh.

Carlisle chuckled and nodded, then patted his son on the back, "I'm glad you all came out here."

"Me too," Masen told him with a nod, "I mean with work and everything..." he shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, "You know how it gets."

He smiled at his son admirably, "I'm proud of you Masen. You and Leah have established quite the life together."

"Learned from the best," he told him with a grin, tapping his chest lightly.

Caleb walked up to Masen with open arms and his brother's eyebrows raised. "Mase!"

"Wow!" Masen said, "You're huge."

They laughed and shared long hug, "We've talked over the computer," Caleb told him, "On the web cam."

"I know, but it didn't hit me until just now. You're like... a man now." The two of them began to laugh before Masen pulled him back in for another hug, "Good to see you brother."

"You too Mase," Caleb said, smiling.

"Where's the uh, the lady friend?" Masen asked, raising his eyebrows.

"She's coming by soon," he said, "I can't wait for you to meet her."

"The one who got you into all sorts of trouble?" Leah asked, bumping her hip against his.

"Yeah, that one," Caleb told her with a snicker.

"Am I going to have to take my claws out?" she asked him.

"You don't want to see that," Masen assured his brother.

"No, Alex and Rosalie have done plenty of that," Caleb told them.

"I'll be on my best behavior,' Leah assured him with a wink.

"Yeah, sure, Leah..."

She laughed and Masen took her hand in his. The two of them walked up to greet Alex and Michael before they were given a tour of the house.

"A pool!" Cassandra said excitedly, looking at Nicole and Mackenzie, then Alex, "Oh, we're going in."

"Definitely," Nicole said, "As soon as you guys get settled we can put on some music or a movie, maybe drink a little wine and take a dip."

"Just when I thought you couldn't outdo your old place," Jacob said, shaking his head at Edward.

"Hey, if it was my way we'd all be in a quaint, little place out in the woods," Edward told him.

"Oh, don't act like you don't love this place. The pool, the game room, the massive garage..."

He shrugged, "It has its perks, I guess."

"And it _is_ in the middle of the woods," Jacob said with a laugh.

"Hey, are you giving my dad a hard time?" Renesme teased, slinking in beside Edward.

"Of course not," Jacob told her, narrowing his eyes with a wide, toothy grin.

She laughed and hugged Edward, "This is awesome."

"Can I come live here?" Cassandra asked, grinning as she entered the room with Esme.

"We want to come back to Forks," Caleb told her, smiling, "I miss it there."

They approached where Edward and everyone stood talking.

"Jacob, how is the pack doing?" Esme asked him with a smile.

He grinned, "They're doing good. No new members since you've moved out here."

She stopped to think for a moment, "Will you start to age?"

Jacob shook his head, "Nessy, Masen, Lucy and probably Cassandra have enough pull to keep us all in our warrior forms."

Esme felt relieved, "Good. We would have had to move back."

He laughed and smiled wide at her, "Seth wanted me to say hello to you and Carlisle, by the way."

"They should have come."

Jacob shrugged, "That's what I said, but Seth just started working and Lucy is going to hairdressing school."

"Really?" Esme asked with a hint of excitement, "That's great."

He nodded, still smiling.

"What do we have to eat around here?" Masen asked Carlisle, as they linked up with the rest of them.

"Lots," Carlisle told him with a grin.

"Want to go?" he asked him.

He nodded, "Yeah."

"I'm coming," Caleb said to them with a grin.

Esme looked at Carlisle and smiled, feeling waves of happiness every time she saw Masen's face.

"I guess we'll be back soon," Masen told them.

Carlisle patted his son on the back, enjoying his company and took both of his sons out the front door with him.

Rosalie and Alice both walked into the room with aprons, "We're getting dinner started," Alice told everyone, "We finally get to cook again."

"I'll help," Renesme offered immediately with a smile.

"No, no, relax," Esme told them, "We've got it." She looked at Leah who was also about to head in that direction. "Stay," she told her with a smile.

"You're our guests," Alice added, "So go make yourself comfortable, or..." she looked at Cassandra, "Go enjoy the pool."

"Come on," Nicole grabbed her by the hand, "Let's go for dip."

Mackenzie, Alex and Madison joined them and William leaned an arm on his mother, "I'll help you guys."

"Yikes," Emmett said, "Don't burn down the place."

William made a face and shook his head, "I may not be the best cook, but I'm very good at following Mom's orders."

Rosalie laughed and gave her husband a thumbs up. "He's right."

"Want to go for a swim?" Bella asked her daughter with a smile.

"Sure," she said, then made the slightest movement with her head and eyes that indicated that she wanted to speak with her privately.

Bella easily caught on and didn't say anything to blow her cover. "Let's go get changed. I have over five or six bathing suits that I've never worn."

"Thanks to Alice," Edward said with a grin.

She nodded and laughed, "Yeah. So, come with me and you can pick out whichever one you want."

"Meet you by the pool?" Edward asked the two of them.

Renesme nodded with a smile and Bella responded, "Yes," before he and Jacob strolled lazily out of the room together.

When Bella and Renesme were upstairs, Renesme put her hand on her mother's face and Bella waited as her communication sunk in properly.

"We have to tell-" Bella started, but Renesme silenced her with a quick whispered, "No!"

They stood looking at each other for a moment before Renesme continued, "Lucy said the Volturi aren't at all focused on us anymore," she explained, "So, I'm guessing Aro won't go out of his way to try reading mine and Jake's thoughts. Seth doesn't even know because Aro does unfortunately pick through his mind whenever he gets a chance."

"How can I not say anything to your father?" Bella asked.

"Because it's for the best," Renesme whispered, "Aro can't see into your mind. You're the only one I can tell."

She sighed, not wanting to keep anything from Edward, though she blatantly recognized that her daughter had a valid point. In her thoughts that she portrayed through the simple touch of Bella's cheek, Renesme showed her mother that Micah and Helen had been frequently visiting with the wolves of Montana. They considered each other allies, though didn't stick around the area long enough to draw attention to their location. The Cullens had been brought up on occasion, and at one point the vampire couple contemplated taking their chances with the Volturi in order to protect the Cullens from the unjust wrath of their coven.

On top of it all, Renesme and Jacob were also both keeping in touch with Kayla and Jeremy, as well as a few of the others they were close with from the tribe. The thought made Bella nauseous, but she felt she had to trust that Renesme and Jacob wouldn't put themselves in harms way, and if they found themselves there then they would reach out for help.

Bella trusted Jacob with the life of her daughter. She knew he would do anything to protect her, and that included dying for her; but she didn't want to see things get to that point. She didn't want anyone in her family in harms way.

"We're fine," Renesme whispered, "They don't come around all that much, but they do occasionally stop by Kayla's reservation. Jake and I haven't been out there in a long time. If anything, they come visit us once a month or once every couple of months."

"Renesme..." Bella shook his head and ran a hand through her hair.

"I know it sounds like heavy information," she whispered, "But it's not. I just wanted to let you know in case for some reason you ever needed the information. Trust us."

Bella sighed and hugged her. "Okay." She knew it would be difficult to keep the information from Edward and everyone else, but knew her daughter was being strategic in her thought to tell her. The fact that Luciana was on her side made things seem a little more comfortable. Bella just hoped that nothing bad would come it.

"Let's go enjoy the water," Renesme said. She looked at her mother and half-smiled.

Bella nodded and stood up, taking her daughter toward the closet to pick out a swim suit.


	7. The Whole Family

**Chapter 7**

Bella kept the knowledge to herself, knowing she could put the whole family in jeopardy if she gave it away. If they knew, something would surely come of it the next time they had an annual meeting with Aro. She knew her mind was safe, and trusted her daughter's instincts, as well at Jacob's will to protect her. She decided they were right; the Volturi would have no reason to go picking through Renesme and Jacob's brains, and they tended to steer clear of the werewolf culture whenever possible.

Esme and Rosalie served dinner for Jacob, Renesme, Leah and Cassandra. They began sitting at the table, before Jacob and Leah exchanged smiles and Edward laughed upon reading their thoughts.

"We can all go down to the living room and you can eat on trays if you want," Edward said, blowing their cover.

Jacob gave him a look and took a big bite of his steak, then shook his head.

"I'll go set up some trays for everyone," Esme offered with a smile. She placed a hand on Edward's shoulder as she walked by.

"You don't have to do that," Jacob started, but Esme assured him with a simple wave of her hand that it was alright.

"Just like the old days in Forks," Renesme said, "Sitting around the TV with trays and huge plates of food."

Edward laughed and waved them on, "Come on. We can go put on a movie or something."

As they began to get settled, Carlisle returned with Masen, Caleb and Delilah. They had taken a trip to the school in order to sign her out for the evening, also giving Masen a little tour of the outside. He had properly introduced himself to Caleb's girlfriend, who seemed far more shy from being in his presence.

"Make yourself at home," Carlisle told her as they walked through the front door, "We have some more family visiting from Washington. I'm sure they'll all introduce themselves."

"Thank you," she said with a nod. She removed her jacket and looked around for a coat rack.

Carlisle held a hand out and she gave it to him with a nod before opening a closet near the entrance. "It'll be in here. There aren't many other jackets hanging up."

"Thanks," she told him again with a smile, before Caleb took her by the hand and walked in to where the rest of the family was sitting comfortably around the living room.

Jasper was squatting near the fireplace and attempted to get a decent blaze going. He looked and said, "Hello," to Delilah as they entered. She waved and smiled, then was bombarded by Renesme and Cassandra.

"We've heard a lot about you," Renesme said, holding out her hand.

"Yeah, same here," Delilah said. She sighed and stated her name and Renesme did the same.

"Cassie," Cassandra said, extending her hand just after.

"Delilah."

Jacob stood up halfway from where he sat on the chair, "Jake."

She smiled and shook his hand, "Nice to meet you all." Her eyes met Leah's, who were just slightly less friendly at first. Caleb gave her a look, causing her to smile.

"Delilah, it's nice to meet you," Leah told her, standing up to give the young girl a hug. She eyed Masen and gave him a wink.

"You're Caleb's sister-in-law, right?"

"That's right," she told her.

"You're a... you can turn into a..."

"A wolf," Jacob finished her sentence with a wide smile. "So can I."

Delilah laughed nervously, "Wow."

"We'll show ya later, right Leah?"

She smiled without showing her teeth, "Sure."

Masen shook his head and followed her to the couch where she had been sitting.

"So everyone fits in here huh?" Emmett asked with a laugh from the position he sat on the floor with his back against the couch.

Rosalie ran a hand through his hair, sitting behind him and reached for the remote. "Are we ready to start the movie?"

Caleb and Delilah squeezed in next to Alex and Michael, who made some extra room for them.

Esme waved Carlisle in her direction. He smiled and managed his way into the chair with her across the room. "What are we watching?" he asked.

"The boys picked it out," Alice said, stretching her legs out in front of her before Jasper cuddled up next to her in front of the fire.

"It's called _You're Next_," Jasper told them, "About a big family that gets together to visit in a house out in the woods and then..."

"Someone comes in and tries to kill them all," Emmett finished with a laugh.

Leah looked around with fake nervousness and looked at Masen, then Jacob.

Jacob began to laugh, "Did you invite us here for some reason we don't know about?" he asked.

The sound of his chuckle made Bella laugh, and she looked at Edward.

"I mean, that plot is hitting a little too close to home," Jacob went on. "Are there other bloodsuckers waiting in the woods out there waiting to pick us off or something?"

"Jake," Renesme said, pinching him, "What did I say about the bloodsucker term?"

He rolled his eyes and smiled at her, "Alright... vampires."

"Thank you," she said.

Rosalie hit the play button, leading to some dark music.

"I'll get the lights to... set the mood," William said in an eerie voice.

"You do that," Mackenzie told him, rolling her eyes.

Delilah smiled, taking in everyone's interaction. She looked over at Caleb who rubbed the back of her neck with his hand.

"See, you should come over more often," he whispered.

She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek.

"None of that," Emmett said, waving his finger in the air. Rosalie smiled at Caleb and gave him a wink before the first scene of the movie opened up.

"I'm so happy everyone's here," Esme whispered to Carlisle, pushing up tighter against him.

"Me too," he said with a smile, before kissing her temple and putting an arm around her shoulders so she could lean into his chest.

"I told the kids that maybe we could go to Forks for a couple weeks in the summer when school's out."

"That would be nice. I'll save my vacation time."

Esme grinned at him and laid comfortably against him. Carlisle ran a hand soothingly up and down her back and looked around the room. Their three children were all with their significant others and looked comfortable and happy. Jasper and Alice sat closely together illuminated by the fire's light; Edward and Bella talked quietly and kept glancing over at their daughter and Jacob. Cassandra sat wide-eyed already at the flat screen with Nicole and Mackenzie. Fittingly, she had a bowl of popcorn on her lap that Jacob kept reaching down to steal every so often. Rosalie kept her hands on Emmett's back or in his hair and William and Madison sat toward the back window cuddled closely together under a blanket as they watched the movie.

He thought how complete everything felt when they were all together. A part of him wished they hadn't left Forks because it was the most stable, permanent home they had ever had as a family.

Esme nudged him and brought his mind back to her. She looked up at him and tapped her lips with her finger.

Carlisle smiled and leaned his head down to give her a kiss before they both realigned their attention to the movie enjoying the time, no matter how short it would be, with their entire family.


	8. A Mother's Worries

**Chapter 8**

Esme felt a slight emptiness in the pit of her stomach when Masen and everyone else left. They had stayed for nearly a week, but it didn't seem at all long enough. She knew they had their responsibilities and their lives back in Washington, but she wished they could all be together. As much as she acknowledges how much she missed everyone, it hit harder when they were in each other's company for limited amounts of time.

Alex had been emotional when saying goodbye to her brother. She practically ran by their car in an extended chat with Leah when they were leaving and waved enthusiastically as they left the property and made their way onto the street.

Everyone was sad to see their family members have to go, but they knew they could go out and visit on a moment's notice.

"I miss Forks," Caleb said, looking at his mother as they both walked up their staircase to the second floor.

"Me too," Esme admitted. She smiled at him, "It was nice visiting with everyone wasn't it? And aren't you glad they all got to meet Delilah?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

Esme saw in his slumped posture that he was feeling the same types of feelings that she was. Never in all of her years had she missed a location the way she did their small, rainy town tucked away in the northwest corner of the country. She had overheard Bella and Edward expressing similar feelings earlier in the night.

"Maybe we can stay there all summer," Caleb said with a shrug, then added jokingly, "Or move back." She stopped and looked at him and he shrugged. "I'm not serious; well, not really."

Esme hugged him for a moment, "We'll go back one day."

"I know," he said, "I don't mind it here, and I know this feeling will fade once a few days go by without them all here, but right now I would trade this place for our old one in a heartbeat."

She tried to stay positive, "Well, you did meet Delilah here, right? That's a good thing."

Caleb nodded and smiled, "Yeah."

Esme kissed him on the cheek and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled again and rounded into a room with a big television and a pool table. Emmett looked to be waiting for him, twirling one of the sticks in his hand.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," Caleb told him with a nod.

Esme smiled at them, "Have fun." She walked the rest of the way down the hall to her room, hearing the two of them laugh and put some music on. Her eyes landed on the clock and she realized that it would still be another four or five hours until Carlisle arrived home from his shift. She looked out the window into the darkness and felt that nagging empty feeling. She wished Carlisle was home to vent to, and express how much she missed their old town, and how much she missed Masen and Cassie and Nessy and Leah and Jacob. Thoughts of Sue and Charlie passed through her mind, and Seth's big smile and Lucy's clinginess to him. She missed them all.

Everyone in the house was preoccupied with one thing or another and Esme thought of talking to possibly Edward or Rosalie but neither of them were home. For some reason at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to find the spark of happiness she was looking for.

She clicked on the television to try passing some time and laid on her stomach on the bed with the remote in her hands. She left the door partway open, ready to welcome any interruptions that came her way.

For whatever reason, the thought of the loss of her baby that was caught in the half-human realm crossed her mind. She felt it was her already nagging thoughts that lead her down that road and contributed to the melancholy nature of her mood. The thought then registered in her mind that it had been nearly two months since she and Carlisle had made their agreement for seeing what happens in regards to another child.

_What if I can't have children now? _Esme wondered, then shook the thought off and scolded herself. _Don't start letting your mind get the best of you. There's no real reason to think that._

She sighed to herself and began to try calculating exactly how much time had passed, now wondering why it hadn't happened yet. Carlisle hadn't voiced even the slightest concern, and she knew he would have if he thought something was off. She knew if she brought her concerns to his attention he would remind her that for a human couple it would takes months, or sometimes even years, to conceive a child.

_I wish I could think like a doctor_, she thought. Esme knew Carlisle's mind was always on the side of reason. She didn't want to bother him with her lonesome, worried contemplations, but she knew he would encourage her to do so if something was bothering her. She also began to think that maybe her bringing it up and him completely reassuring her about the situation would make her feel better.

The thought of him laughing off her worries, while simultaneously being sympathetic and understanding made Ese smile. Even while he wasn't in her presence, he could still help to bring her out of a bad mood. She found comfort in the fact that he was on his last shift of the week, getting Saturday and Sunday off.

Emmett's high-pitched laugh from the other room contributed to Esme's break in her negative thoughts. She smiled to herself and let the comfort of his always happy-go-lucky nature sink in for a moment. She also contemplated going to hang around Jasper in an attempt to ease her mind, but could tell that he and Alice were spending some time together.

A commercial for a pregnancy test came on the screen and Esme put her head face down on the comforter for a second and wanted to laugh from the irony. She looked back up at the television, cursing in her mind at the network for airing the ad.

Esme climbed out of bed and went down the hall to Carlisle's office, glancing at a calendar that sat on top of his desk. She flipped back to the previous month, specifically counting the weeks. As she pointed to each week leading up to the current one, she counting in her mind until she came up with the number seven.

_Seven weeks_, she thought, _and nothing._

The idea of not having a child yet wasn't what worried her. She could have waited another six months before trying. It was the fact that she and Carlisle hadn't done anything _not_ to make it happen that worried her.

_Stop thinking like a crazy person_, she thought. Esme knew it was when she was alone on nights like this that her mind won the battle with reason. She thought of Masen again, and how it felt to hug him before he left. She thought of Renesme and Jacob's smiles and the bond and likeness of Leah and Cassandra.

_They are too far away._

Esme knew her mind was quite literally searching for something to be sad about, but she couldn't control it. She hated when she got herself into one of these moods that she couldn't get out of. She even began to wonder if what Jacob said was true.

_Maybe Jacob and Leah are aging and they don't realize it_, she thought. _Then we would have to go back._

Her thoughts drifted to Masen and Renesme. What would happen if their werewolf spouses did start to age?

Edward returned to the house and immediately made his way up the stairs and into the office. He slowly made his way in and looked at Esme with sensitive eyes, but he wore a smile.

"Stop driving yourself crazy," he told her, "Jacob and Leah aren't aging. Everyone's fine. You're fine."

Esme laughed at first, relieved that he walked in. She couldn't help herself and walked over to put her arms around him.

Edward hugged her and smiled. "I miss everyone, too," he told her.

She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling comfort in his hug. When she pulled back she let out a long, decompressing sigh and put a hand on her forehead.

"I hate when I can't get out of a mood like this," Esme said.

"Don't stress," Edward said. He lowered his voice, "Sometimes these things take time. I can see you're going back and forth, but it's true. For people who want a baby it can sometimes take over a year; longer..."

"I know," she said, "It's only been seven weeks."

"Exactly," he said. "And me and Bella are going to Forks early next month. Come with us."

Esme smiled at him and nodded, "As long as Caleb doesn't need me for anything here."

"Try to relax your mind," he told her.

Alice made her way up to greet them. She laughed and looked at Esme, "Let me give you a pedicure. And Jasper will make you feel better."

Esme smiled at the two of them, feeling better already. She nodded, "Okay."

Edward smiled as Alice paraded Esme out of the room.

"Thank you," she said, looking over her shoulder at him.

He nodded and grinned at her.

"And thank you, too, Alice," Esme said with a laugh.

"I'm suppose to paint Rosalie's toes," Nicole said, joining them, "Where is she?"

"Hunting!" Emmett bellowed from upstairs, still engulfed in a game of pool with Caleb.

"She'll be back in less than fifteen minutes," Alice told her.

Esme smiled, appreciating their company.

"Pink okay?" Alice asked.

"Sounds good, Alice," Esme told her.

Jasper slid into the seat next to Esme with a grin and she laughed from the look he was giving her.

"I'm here to fulfill your emotional needs," he told her.

Esme and Alice both laughed and Esme sat back, allowing them to pamper her a little so she could regain her mental balance.


	9. No Words Necessary

**Chapter 9**

Carlisle got home from work, feeling ready for a few days off. The hospital had been overly active during his past few shifts, and he hadn't gotten a chance to mellow out or sit down. While he welcomed the work, he was perfectly content with being able to sit back and relax for a couple of days.

Alice greeted him by the door and brushed off some snowflakes from the sleeve of his jacket. "Go give Esme a massage or something," she whispered with a smile, "She's missing Masen and everybody. It took me awhile to cheer her up."

Carlisle grinned at her and gave a simple nod as he removed his coat and hung it in the closet. He climbed the stairs, taking a glance into Caleb's empty room and seeing a small pile of clothes he'd left on the edge of the bed and the control of his X-Box right next to the clothes. He then continued his way down the hall, smiling to himself as he was about to approach Esme.

He opened the door to their room without knocking, making Esme jump as she folded clothes on top of the bed spread.

A smile crossed her face from the way she was startled. "Carlisle, I-"

He didn't let her finish the thought, as he walked up and kissed her, starting with his hands on either side of her face before drifting them down around her back so he could pull her up against him.

Esme let the initial, happy shock of his bold move leave her body and she whole-heartedly kissed him back.

Carlisle immediately picked her up off the ground and wrapped her legs around his waist before settled her lightly on her back in the middle of the bed. Typically he would have be careful not to mess up the piles of laundry that Esme had carefully just folded, but he sensed that she wouldn't mind at that moment where they ended up and he would be sure to be the one to refold them later.

Esme found that her need for his affection was almost painful. The initiative he took upon opening the door was exactly what she needed to bounce back after the moody night she'd had. Edward's words and Alice's pedicure had led her back in the right direction, but she felt elatedly hypnotized when Carlisle took her by surprise the way he just did.

Thoughts of everything else disappeared from her mind and, though her eyes were closed, Esme could only see Carlisle. She wished at that moment she had a heart beat so he could truly feel what he did to her; how amazing he made her feel in every way. Even after a century of being with him, she found herself weak in the knees when caught up in the passion of a moment like this.

Carlisle opened his eyes for a moment and very literally felt Esme's tenseness melt away as the two of them got heavier into the moment. She wasn't wondering if the laundry was a mess on the floor at the foot of the bed, or if the steady snow outside would pick up, or even if the door was locked or not. Her sole focus was on him.

He let his lips drift from hers for a minute, gently taking it mouth away from hers after finding it difficult to part from her, even for just a second.

Esme's actions indicated that she didn't want their kiss to end as she fought to keep his mouth against hers.

Carlisle stood up for a moment, which caused her a look of even more displeasure, though it made him smile as they were yet to truly speak a word to each other. Without saying anything, he turned the lock on the doorknob and rejoined her back in the bed.

He looked her in the eye for a moment, before his gaze slowly dropped to her shoulders. He slipped his hands under the shoulder straps of the plain, white tank top she wore and laid himself down on top of her again, beginning to graze her shoulders with his lips gently.

Esme met his eyes for a moment and smiled, before he closed his eyes and continued exactly what he was doing. She felt herself smile again as he removed the shirt completely, then worked his lips back against hers. The feel of his bare skin against hers strongly indicated that he had also stripped down without her really noticing. The fabric of his boxer-briefs brushed against thigh as he struggled with a light laugh to take off her jeans.

Unlike just hours before while he was at work, Esme couldn't keep a smile from her face. She sat up halfway, reaching for the covers and pulled them snugly around Carlisle's body so the two of them were as tightly up against each other as possible.

For whatever reason, Esme was enjoying the fact that neither of them had taken even a moment to speak. Carlisle kissed her again, interrupting her thoughts, and her hands traveled the length of his back.

Finally, he put his lips to her ear after kissing along her jawline, careful to be delicate in the way he touched her. "I missed you," he whispered.

Esme smiled, knowing they had only been apart for twelve hours while he worked and she reactively linked herself tighter to him. "I missed you too."

Carlisle kissed her once on the lips and looked down at her, "We'll go visit them in Forks soon," he whispered, noting Alice's words upon his arrival, "I promise."

"Okay," Esme agreed, whispering back.

He leaned down and touched her lips gently again with his, then pulled back and did the same thing two or three more times before Esme giggled and pursued him a little harder with her mouth and he picked up where he left off in taking the lead.

"You know what I don't tell you enough?" he whispered again.

Esme kept her eyes closed as he kissed her along the top of her chest. She sighed and rested her hand gently on the back of his head. "What?" she asked.

"How beautiful you are. And how much I need you."

"Yes you do," she assured him.

"No, I don't," he whispered in between the touches of his lips.

"Okay, so tell me," Esme said, still smiling.

Carlisle grinned and kissed her neck then her lips again with more intensity. "You're beautiful, and I need you."

The passion in his voice began to rise and Esme felt chills roll down her back and butterflies in her stomach. A quick spark of hope that she would get pregnant that morning crossed her mind and she knew then she could put the restless thoughts behind her. The thought passed as quickly as it entered her mind and she decided not to analyze the situation. Rather, she allowed herself to enjoy making love to her husband.


	10. First Dance

**Chapter 10**

Spring weather was finally trying to make itself known as March broke into April. Life had been fairly routine for everyone and the slightly nicer weather kept everyone in good moods, though it provided more of a challenge when it came to the kids attending class. While they still manage to make it to the school before sunrise on the sunnier mornings, there were times that running just a few minutes late ended up in them missing the entire day. It wasn't anything that hadn't happened in the past decades. Forks just happened to be an exceptional place for their attendance records.

A group of doctors at the local hospital were given the option to attend a two-day medical convention in Montana while getting the trip paid for, even getting overtime hours for their participation. He had decided to take the offer and felt it was always good to stayed updated on the latest medical knowledge.

Carlisle grabbed the bag he packed and walked outside with Esme toward the garage. "I'll be back in a couple days," he told her.

"Give me a call when you get there," Esme told him with a smile. She clicked open the garage door and handed Carlisle his keys.

He nodded and leaned in to give her a kiss. She smiled and left her hand on his face, giving him a few more before he opened the back door of his car and tossed the bag in.

"Be careful," she told him.

"I will," he said, then reminded her, "Just a couple days." A smile crossed his face again and the two of them shared a hug and another kiss before he started up the car and made his way down the driveway.

Esme sighed as he left, but knew his trip wouldn't be overly long. While she would miss his company for a few days, she was also happy because she knew he would enjoy getting to do something a little different in the field he was so passionate about.

She wandered toward the house and her phone went off as she opened the front door. It was a text message from Carlisle, and she smiled knowing they hadn't been apart for nearly two minutes.

_I miss you already_, he wrote.

Esme had an ear to ear grin and began to type back.

Rosalie met her by the door, immediately smiling when she saw the happy expression on Esme's face.

"Hey, Emmett, Edward and Jasper just took off for the weekend too," she said, "They're going to explore the area up through Canada."

Esme hit the send button and looked at Rosalie, "So, what's everyone thinking?"

"Girls weekend?" Rosalie laughed, "Maybe we can all do something together, or just relax here."

She nodded, knowing they had probably purposely made the arrangements for her sake and she smiled, "That sounds great."

"Great," Rosalie said back with a smile. "The kids have a little get-together going on at the school tonight; some dance slash fundraiser. It's casual."

"Caleb didn't say anything about that," Esme said.

"Neither did William or Mac. I found a flyer that one of them left out on the couch. And Alice overheard the girls making arrangements to go."

She smiled, glad she wasn't left out of the equation by her son. "What time does it start?"

"I think seven," Rosalie told her, "If I remember correctly. Maybe the four of us can just lounge in the pool again and have some wine and watch funny romantic comedies like we did a few weeks ago; well, like you guys did. I was busy losing money to Jasper."

Esme thought her plan sounded like the perfect evening, acknowledging that the last time they did that it turned out to be a lot of fun. "My schedule's open."

...

Delilah met at the house dressed semi-formally with a skirt and a nice top to match. Caleb wore a pair of khakis with a dressy button-down shirt and a tie. Everyone else was dressed similarly as they prepared to head back to the school for the evening's event.

Esme pulled Caleb's tie tight and brushed her hands over his shoulders, then kissed him on the cheek. "Have fun guys."

"Thanks Mom." He smiled and looked at Delilah, then linked his hand up with hers.

"Thanks," Delilah said after him.

"You're welcome. Be safe."

"We will," Caleb assured her. "Alex is already outside?"

"She just went to the car with Michael," Esme told him, "I think Rosalie is done taking pictures of William and Maddy."

"Don't they already have a wedding album?" he asked, rolling his eyes with a chuckle.

"I heard that!" Rosalie called from outside.

"You can never have too many pictures," Alice piggybacked onto the thought.

Esme shook her head and smiled, then kissed him on the cheek again. "Have a good time."

"We will," he said again.

She followed him out to where the rest of the kids were meeting by the car and then saw them off with Alice, Rosalie and Bella.

When they pulled in through the main gate of the school, everyone could already hear the popular music of the day playing in the gymnasium.

"Not this one again," Nicole said, shaking her head, making Alex smile and look over her shoulder at her from the passenger seat.

Delilah looked over at Caleb as they climbed out of the car and headed toward the gym ahead of everyone else. He put his arm over her shoulders and she kept hers around his waist. Once they got to the door, Caleb handed a pair of tickets to the teacher who was at the door collecting them. Nicole and Mackenzie were the next to pile in followed closely by Alex and Michael.

Heads turned as they walked in. A few of the kids Caleb had become friendly with seemed to be surprised by his entrance with Delilah. While the two of them hadn't at all been hiding their relationship, they weren't overly clingy in school. There were quiet whispers, all that he could hear, and it made them both smile.

Many of the boys checked out all four girls on their trip across the gym. Nicole smiled and waved to a few people, and Mackenzie did so too only with a slightly less enthusiastic approach. Alex and Michael only seemed to be interested in each other, though he kept her tucked tightly tucked next to him. He wasn't at all a jealous person, but Alex couldn't help but smile when he pulled her just a little closer in the presence of whispering young men.

"I love you," she whispered to him, looking up as Michael. He stopped looking around the crowd and stopped to give her a delicate kiss on the lips before they kept walking.

Nicole led the way to the dance floor, dragging Mackenzie with her without much of a choice. The two of them laughed and danced, drawing a few boys from class they were friendly with in their direction.

Michael and Caleb were both more reserved when it came to dancing and stood talking while Alex decided to warm up to Delilah by pulling her into their group of girls to have a good time.

"Thanks for accepting Delilah," Caleb said to his brother-in-law, "You were always understanding about her... and about us."

He smiled and nodded, "I understand her position. It wasn't much different than my own. She was just in it a little deeper than I was."

"Thanks for getting Alex to accept her too."

Michael smiled, "I think she just wanted to make sure you weren't going to get hurt."

"I know," Caleb said with a nod.

Michael looked at him and patted him once on the back. The two of them talked and more or less watched for most of the faster songs, though they were unwillingly dragged in a few times by Nicole. When the occasional slow song came on, they joined their significant others, feeling more content with slowly swaying back and forth in the midst of a large group. Neither Michael, nor Caleb, was the center-of-attention type, but they did what they could to make the girls happy.

"Last song of the evening," the DJ called from behind his station, rattling off a few more sentences before people scattered around the gym to find the person they wanted to share the last dance of the night with.

Michael smiled as Alex grabbed his hands. He twirled her at first as if it was a fast song, then pulled her closer as the song began to play. She laughed and looked over as a few boys eagerly asked Nicole and Mackenzie to dance. They accepted their first offers, drawing a few disappointed looks from some kids nearby.

Delilah stayed closely up against Caleb, pressing her cheek to his chest while they danced.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked her, upon not talking for the first thirty seconds or so of the song.

She nodded against his chest, "Yeah. Your sister and the girls were really nice. Alex was the one who pulled me in with her. We got along really well tonight."

Caleb smiled to himself, "Good."

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"What's wrong then?"

Delilah looked up at him and shook her head, "Nothing. Nothing's wrong at all." She half-smiled, "I'm just really happy to be honest. I'm happy that they have all kind of accepted me."

"You're one of us now Del," he told her with a grin.

Delilah couldn't help but smile wider. She loved it when he called her by the little nickname and she leaned up to kiss him once. "I really love you Caleb."

"Good," Caleb said back, "Because I _really_ love you too."

She placed her head back against his chest. For a moment, she wondered why she couldn't hear his heartbeat, but it didn't take her but a second to realize how silly the thought was.

_None of us have heartbeats_, she thought. Her mind drifted to a claim she had heard from both Aro and Caius, stating they didn't have souls; that they were destined for an afterlife in Hell.

Delilah looked up at Caleb and knew that their claims couldn't possibly be true. There was no way the boy who held her in his arms with all the love and care in the world could possibly go to Hell. She wasn't too sure about her own fate, but she was positive about his.

The lights snapped on in the gym and everyone began to separate and scatter as the DJ thanked everyone for coming out and teachers attempted to keep everyone in some type of order.

"Are you walking Delilah back?" Alex asked, approaching them where they still stood linked together.

Caleb back just slightly away, but took her hand. He nodded, "Yeah. I'll walk home afterwards."

"Okay," she told him with a smile. "I'll see ya soon Delilah. Come by the house again soon."

"I will," Delilah assured her, "Thanks Alex."

She nodded and looked at Michael, who said a polite goodbye to them and headed out the door, sensing the girls had already beat them to the car.

Caleb allowed Delilah out the gym doors ahead of him and the two of them managed to get out of sight of the teachers and security guards to get to the window that Delilah made a habit of leaving open. Like always, they shared a brief make-out session to end their night together against the brick wall of the building before Caleb forced himself to pull away.

"You know, you can come over," he told her.

"I will tomorrow," she told him with a smile and a little laugh.

"I don't want to wait until the morning to see you," Caleb whispered, whispering back. He kissed her a few more times.

Delilah smiled, then sighed a little anxiously, "Well, then why don't you stay here then?"

The two of them stood in silence for a minute before her anxiety got the best of her, "If you want," she added, "You can just call me when you get home."

Caleb held his pause for a moment before he shook his head, "No, I'll come up."

She smiled and sighed quietly this time before scaling the building with him just behind her. They stood in silence for a few seconds before Caleb made his way back to her picture collage. "This one's still my favorite," he told her, pointing to the picture of Delilah with her grandmother.

She grinned, "Mine too."

A loud knock at the door made both of them jump and Delilah mouthed the word "hide". Caleb tried not to laugh before scampering out the window.

Delilah giggled quietly into her hand and opened the door for her nightly room inspection.

"Just checking in," a stiff-looking, middle-aged woman with glasses said, adjust her lenses with one hand. She peered over Delilah's shoulder.

"I just got back from the dance," Delilah told her, "Just getting settled."

The woman looked around the empty room again and nodded. She wasn't about to check under the bed and saw no one in the plain sight so she noted that Delilah's room had been check and made her way back down the hall.

When the door closed, Caleb slid back in through the window, grinning wide. He looked down before they both started to laugh quietly. He sat down on the edge of the bed and Delilah leaned down to kiss him, then sat on his lap. She reached over and clicked on the desk lamp and the two of them sat in silence together for a few minutes.

"How long can you stay?" she asked.

He shrugged, "I'll just have to check in with my mom, but I'll stay... all night."

"You don't have to."

"I know. I want to."

Delilah stood up, "I'm just going to change into my sweats in case she comes back. I don't want to be still in my dress and heels.

Caleb nodded and laid down flat on the bed, staring toward the window as she changed. A moment later, she was beside him and laid comfortably against his chest. He reached in his pocket for his phone and began typing with his arms around her.

Delilah read the words that he typed to his mother. _Be home in a couple hours. Watching a movie with Delilah._

A few minutes later, Esme's text came in giving him the "okay" to do so.

Delilah looked over at him and smiled and the two of them began to kiss again. She pulled him on top of her and he didn't have it in him to stop himself. Her hands rode up the back of his shirt and Caleb knew his desire for her was heightening. When he stopped kissing her, the two of them went from feeling completely in the moment, to completely tense in a heartbeat.

Her hands continued to push his shirt, just slightly before an unspoken force gave Caleb the confidence to wiggle the rest of the way out of it. He wasn't sure what he was doing, or where that first move was going to lead, but he had never felt more nervous in his life.

"It's alright," she said, "If you want to... or if you don't."

Caleb wanted to shout out loud that he wanted to do what he had been thinking about for so long, but he didn't want her to feel pressure by his over-eagerness. "Yeah," he said, "Um... what do you want to do?"

Delilah wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't want to scare him off, or make him think that she was experienced in the area, when she wasn't at all. She didn't know exactly what to do from there so she did what she was comfortable with and just kissed him. As Caleb's kisses became more passionate, she realized that her nervousness was beginning to diminish, but her excitement began to rise.

Caleb, too, couldn't deny that he was feeling the same way. Without either of them stopping to process the situation, they were barely clothed and under the covers together. Delilah led his hands to her waist and could feel how nervous he was through the slightest shake of his hands. She kissed him again to reassure him that everything about the situation was okay. Because of her sureness, he decided to go with exactly what he was feeling.


	11. Don't Drink the Wine

**Chapter 11**

Esme kept looking at the clock while she tried to enjoy time with the other women of the house. She knew Caleb was most likely with Delilah and Alice kept constantly reassuring her that he was fine.

"Nothing's wrong," Alice said again, "Relax Esme. No danger in sight... just yet."

"Just yet?" she asked.

She laughed, "That wasn't kind of a dark joke, huh?"

"Yeah." Esme smiled anyway and finally reached over her shoulder from her position in the pool for the bottle of wine that Alice, Rosalie and even Bella had been primary sipping from over the course of the past few hours.

Alice nearly knocked over the bottle, reaching for it first and pushed it back a few inches, then shook her head.

"Alice..." Esme said with a grin, reaching for it a second time.

"You don't really need it," she said again, pushing the bottle back again.

Rosalie gave Alice a look, "Is Esme a recovering alcoholic and we don't know about it?"

Bella chuckled at the thought and Esme laughed, shaking her head.

Alice also shook her head and just looked at them. Esme wondered if Alice would stop her again if she reached for it a third time, but she seemed to be a few steps ahead of her.

"Alice, if you want the bottle to yourself..." Bella began softly, joking around. Rosalie snickered.

Alice sighed and pushed herself out of the pool, then took the bottle of wine to a small table in the corner and put the cork back in.

"Hey!" Rosalie said, "I may not have been done with that."

The three of them looked around at each other while Alice dove into the pool.

"Alice..." Esme pushed, raising her eyebrows when she resurfaced.

"Why are you hoarding the wine?" Rosalie asked with a smile.

"I'm not hoarding the wine," she assured them calmly. She shook her head, "Man, I did so good keeping this to myself for a couple of hours..."

"What?" Bella asked at the same time as Rosalie.

"Well..." she began to laugh, "Just let it be known that you all contributed to ruining the surprise."

"What surprise?" Rosalie asked.

Alice looked at Esme and gave her a thumbs up.

"What?" Esme asked.

Alice shrugged and smiled.

"Is Esme pregnant?" Bella asked with a smile.

Alice nodded as lightly as she possibly could, appearing as though she still didn't want to open her mouth and reveal the news that she had already seen taking place.

Rosalie began to clap and Esme slowly smiled and ran a hand over her stomach beneath the water.

"I don't really feel anything..." she said, but continued to grin while looking at Alice.

"You will," Alice assured her with a smile. Her eyes drifted to the clock, "Pretty soon."

Esme looked around at all of them. Bella smiled and Rosalie began to laugh.

"Yay!" Rosalie said, clapping her hands together a few times.

Esme laughed and continued to look down, attempting to get some physical indication that what Alice was saying was correct.

"Give it a little more time," Alice told her, now giggling herself.

"Do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?" Rosalie asked.

Alice seemed to be going through a flipbook in her mind and she finally nodded. "Yep."

Bella and Rosalie both looked at Esme, who shook her head.

"I'll find out later," she said, "I don't want to know yet." Esme couldn't help but smile and laugh, then looked at Alice, "You're positive?"

"Postive."

Esme's phone rang and she jumped out of the pool.

"Don't tell him yet!" Rosalie said, "If that's Carlisle."

"Caleb," she told them, reaching for the phone. "Hello?" She listened for a few seconds before answering, "That's fine. I just hope she won't get in trouble... that's absolutely fine. I'll see you both in a few minutes then... Okay... I love you too."

Alice couldn't keep a smile from her face for several reasons. One was the fact that Esme was pregnant; the other was the fact that she was well aware of the night that Caleb and Delilah had had. She had switched her attention to Esme, but could already see that Caleb was in a happy-go-lucky mood that he wouldn't be able to hide.

"Well, congratulations," Rosalie told Esme when she placed the phone back down.

"Thanks Rose. I don't feel it yet."

Alice sighed and laughed, "You will."

"I think Rosalie's right though," Bella said, "Don't tell Carlisle until he gets back."

Esme nodded, "Yeah, I think that could be fun."

The four of them continued to chit-chat for a few more minutes excitedly before Esme made her way upstairs to get dressed for when Caleb came home with Delilah. The rest of the kids were gathered in the living room, yet to change from the clothes they wore to the dance.

When Caleb arrived home with Delilah, everyone stared in their direction as the two of them entered the living room. No one said anything for a moment, before Caleb offered Delilah a seat on the couch.

"You guys missed most of the movie," Nicole told them with a smile.

Caleb shrugged with a smile and Delilah smiled, looking around at Caleb's family members almost nervously.

William made eye contact with Caleb, who couldn't hold back a full-fledged smile.

"What movie is this?" Caleb asked them, smirking and making a face as two girls stood in the dark with a flashlight.

"Urban Legend," Mackenzie told him, "Some nineties horror movie."

"The guy's pretty cute," Nicole said, getting an agreeing nod from Alex, Mackenzie and Madison.

"Pshh, please..." William said with a laugh.

"Jealous?" Madison asked teasingly.

"Never."

She raised her eyebrows first, then scrunched her nose up and kissed him playfully. "We should go visit my parents soon," she said.

"Whenever you want babe," he told her with a smile.

"Spring break? Maybe we can spend the week up in Denali."

"Sounds good."

Maddy smiled and kissed him again.

Esme rounded into the room and said "hello" to everyone again, before Caleb and Delilah both stood up to hug her. Alice was just behind Esme and gave Caleb a knowing smile. He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders, then laughed.

Esme looked back at Alice who had her hands locked together in front of her and smiled back. She assumed that the two of them were engaging in some kind of inside, funny information and didn't pry into what it was because of their easy-going demeanor.

"Thanks for having me over," Delilah said.

"You can come over any time," Esme assured her. Her eyes drifted to the television screen where someone was being chased down by a killer with an ax. "Everyone loves these scary movies, huh?"

"Yep!" William told her from across the room with a grin.

Esme laughed and looked at Caleb again. "Okay, well, have fun."

"We will," he told her.

"And the dance was okay?" she asked.

He and Delilah looked at each other and both nodded.

"Good," she said with a smile. "If you need anything, I'll be down the hall."

"Alright," Caleb said with a nod.

Alice smiled as she left the room behind Esme. Caleb and Delilah sat back down together and she laid up against him with a little extra clinginess.

Nicole looked over at Caleb and made a heart with her hands, causing him to snicker and shake his head. She laughed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Mackenzie asked.

"Hunting. I've need to for the last two hours, I was just trying to prolong it so I wouldn't have to change out of this outfit."

Alex laughed and looked at Michael. "I think I should probably go too."

"Do you want me to go?" he asked.

She waved her hand at him, seeing his eyes were fully golden upon hunting just a short while before the dance. "Nah. We'll be fine."

"You sure?"

Alex kissed him once on the lips. "Yeah. We'll be back soon."

Nicole waited for Alex, then the two of them informed their mothers that they would be leaving for a little while.

"Keep your phones on," Alice told them.

"Always," Nicole said, before the two of them darted out the back door together.

Esme had asked Alice, Rosalie and Bella to keep the news to themselves for the time being about her baby-to-be so she could find the proper way to tell the rest of the family. They had agreed, though Rosalie couldn't stop talking about it.

"Alice," Bella said, recognizing that she hadn't spoken for about thirty seconds.

Esme and Rosalie exchanged a glance and saw the blank stare on Alice's face. They knew she was seeing something significant, and they waited for what seemed like an hour before she finally snapped out of her vision.


	12. Half A Vision

**I created a trailer for the 2nd half of this story, if anyone wants a "kind of" preview of what's to come: go to the normal you tube URL and then paste: /watch?v=Z7BegSUnKFU after it. Can anyone guess that it's another snow day for me? lol ... oh, and I got the song idea from The Walking Dead.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Alice looked thoughtful. She still seemed to be processing what she saw, then looked at Esme.

"Can you call Carlisle and see where he is?" she asked.

Esme looked at her with concern, "Yes. Why?" She pulled her phone out and was scrolling through the recent calls to find his name.

"I don't know. He just kind of disappeared from what I was seeing, but I think he's okay."

"You think?" Esme asked, putting her ear up to the receiver. "Alice..."

"I don't know. He was taken off-guard and then my vision went blank. I have to scroll back a bit and see what he was doing."

"Take off-guard by what?"

The phone rang five or six times and went strait to Carlisle's voicemail. Esme left him a quick message and hung the phone up then tried again right away.

Alice's eyes were scanning the wall as if she was reading some hidden message on it. They all knew she was trying to distinguish what was about to go on.

Rosalie and Bella looked at Esme for a moment and she sighed and put a hand on her forehead.

"Can you see anything Alice?" Rosalie asked.

"His trip wasn't to Washington, was it?" she asked Esme.

"No," Esme told her, shaking her head. She clicked off the phone, but kept it out in case Carlisle got her missed calls.

"I think he was taken off-guard by a wolf." Alice informed them, "That's the best I can get from it."

"He's in Montana," Esme told her, filled with a little more hope. "Was it Kayla or Jeremy?"

"I don't think so."

"He's suppose to be at the medical... thing..." Esme said, lacking words as she started to panic just slightly.

"He was," Alice assured her, "But he must have gone to see them or something. I don't know."

"Gone to see Kayla and Jeremy?" Bella asked, a little concerned due to the information Renesme had given her.

"I don't know for sure," Alice said, "But if he was in Montana then that makes sense. I saw him earlier in the hotel lobby and a few of his co-workers were getting a drink at the end of the conference. He was with them for a short time and then he left. I stopped paying attention after that until just a minute ago."

"Did it look like he was in trouble?" Esme asked, looking down at her phone again.

"Not while I saw him, but when it cut away it looked like he was taken off guard. That's the only way I can describe it."

Esme sighed and was about to call him again when she suddenly got a feeling of discomfort in her stomach and looked down.

...

Carlisle parked his car at the end of the long path covered in snow that led up to where Kayla and Jeremy lived. He had spoken to them earlier in the week to let them know that he would be in town. When he had arrived off the plan before the first meeting of the day, he had a voicemail from Kayla asking if he was still going to be in the area. When he returned her call, they made a plan to meet up and say hello.

He strolled at a normal pace, not wanting to freak anyone out by his rapid movements. He knew that everyone in the "werewolf" culture wasn't completely tolerant of vampires, and the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to himself, or make someone think he was there with bad intentions.

Leftover snow blanketed the ground, though the day had been a mixture of sun and clouds with temperatures in the fifties. Spring always took a little longer to take shape in the northern states, even at times in April.

Carlisle had his hands in his pockets and looked up at the starry sky, thinking for a moment of his initial visit to the area. He knew the pond he had fallen into wasn't far, bringing an almost chilling sensation to his body. The thought of it sometimes made him uneasy, but he easily put it out of his mind.

The scent of wolves nearby caught his attention, growing stronger with each stride. He recognized those of Kayla and Jeremy, though there were others in the immediate area that were unfamiliar. He looked around through the trees that lingered in close proximity to where he walked upon hearing a growl. At that moment, his instincts kicked in and he suddenly felt a slight threat from the nature of the sound.

Ahead in the distance, he could see lights on in Kayla and Jeremy's house and contemplated making a run in that direction. He wasn't sure what type of reaction that was draw, so he decided to put his hands up in the direction of the wolf, or wolves that were just beyond the tree line. Before he could speak, a dark gray wolf with shaggy hair emerged with its teeth barred and lunged in his direction.

Carlisle easily dodged the oversized animal, but stumbled back for a moment, allowing it to lunge at him a second time, barking and snarling. Its massive teeth were only inches from his face, though he managed to get his hands by the snout and jaw, causing the wolf to wince and whine for a moment before he let it go and got back to his feet.

"Stop-" he began to say, though it continued its pursuit with aggression.

Carlisle didn't have time to contemplate the confusion. He didn't know who the warrior was that was attacking him, or what the reason was, but he hoped someone would hear their scuffle and come out so he wouldn't have to fatally harm the animal if it came down to saving his own life.

He managed to get around the back of the wolf with his arms around its mid-section, though had no intention of hurting it. "I'm here to see Kayla and Jeremy," he managed to choke out, hoping the wolf would back down from his words and lack of intent to kill it.

Carlisle intentionally kept a less than lethal grip, though the wolf took advantage of his actions and twisted itself out of the hold. It appeared to be unwilling to back down. He held his hands out again, now a few feet away.

"I'm not here to hurt you or anybody," he said.

"Shane!" Jeremy called, approaching rapidly from his home.

Carlisle looked in the direction of the house and the wolf snarled again, barking fiercely and charged at Carlisle another time. His momentary distraction, caused him to get knocked roughly to his back into the snow, now by the edge of the woods on the opposite side that the wolf had come from. He looked over his shoulder while holding its snapping jaws back away from his face. His head and shoulders were hanging over a small cliff that led down a steep hill covered with snow, rocks and trees.

"Shane enough!" Jeremy called a second time, sounding a lot like Sam Clearwater as he did.

Carlisle attempted to hold the two of them up on the ledge, though the chunk of ice his hand was positioned on cracked in half beneath his palm and the two of them crashed down the side of the cliff.


	13. Honest Mix-Up

**Chapter 13**

Carlisle cascaded down the mountain with the wolf on top of him. Its eyes suddenly turned from rage-filled to in a state of shock. The two of them got separated when Carlisle felt his back slam against the first rock, before he flipped and turned, bouncing off several more small boulders and trees before finally reaching a flat part of the land. When he finally came to a halt, he glanced over about thirty yards away to where Jeremy was standing above the shaken-looking wolf, while pointing over in his direction.

The tone of his voice was harsh, and the wolf he kept referring to as "Shane" looked as if he was cowering and backing down, while looking a bit dazed from the fall.

"Go home!" Jeremy hollered. "I'll be there later on tonight."

Carlisle stood up and brushed himself off. Jeremy approached him as his friend took off slowly through the trees.

"Carlisle, I'm very sorry for that," he said, shaking his head.

He laughed and held his hand out. Jeremy took it and smiled, seeing that his friend wasn't at all angry about the encounter.

"That's Shane," he went on, "He's young, nineteen, and just came into form last year. The only real experience he had with vampires was when those Italian ones passed through. I've told all of them of your family, but he's never seen you."

Carlisle continued to smile and brushed some remaining snow from his jacket, "Just a misunderstanding," he said, now chuckling.

"Thanks for understanding," Jeremy said.

He nodded and patted him once on the back. They both looked up the tall hill in front of them. Trees had been knocked down from the base in certain areas where Carlisle had crashed through them.

"Why don't we climb back up and head to the house," Jeremy suggested.

Carlisle nodded in agreement and the two of them headed back up to level ground.

...

"Nicole!" Alice practically yelled into the phone after a number of attempts to contact her daughter.

Esme bolted to be directly next to her, but Alice put her on speaker phone.

"What's up Mom?" she asked.

"Can you see Carlisle right now?"

"Huh?"

"Your vision," Alice asked with a slightly impatient ring to her voice. "Can you see him in your vision?"

"What's he on a reservation?"

"I think so. Focus on him, or on Jeremy and Kayla."

Esme had squatted down just slightly to where Alice held the phone. She listened for Nicole's response, that took an extra couple of seconds to come. Rosalie and Bella looked almost as tense as they, too, waited to see what she would say.

"Oh, yeah..." Nicole said finally, "Yeah, he's with them."

Esme sighed and the three of them looked relieved.

"He's alright?" Alice asked, "I saw him kind of get startled and my vision went blank. I can't see him."

She laughed on the phone, making everyone feel completely at ease. "Well, he was attacked by this wolf... Shane I think his name was... yeah, Shane."

The four of them looked around at each other, all shocked by the news at first. No one was expecting that and Esme spoke next.

"Attacked?" she asked, "Is he alright?"

"Oh, yeah, he's fine," Nicole assured her, "I think the kid thought he was bad or something until Jeremy set him strait. I've seen him sitting down with them inside the house. He's fine."

"Why hasn't he answered his phone?" Esme wondered aloud.

"Hmm... not sure about that one," Nicole said.

She sighed, "Thank you so much for letting us know."

"No problem," she told them in a perky tone, "Anything else?"

Alice looked at Esme, who shook her head. "Nope, honey, that's it," Alice said, "Happy hunting."

"Thank ya Mom," she said back with a giggle, "Love ya. See ya later."

"Love ya too," Alice said, before her daughter hung up.

Esme shook her head, "I'm so glad you two can do that," she laughed, looking down at her phone.

"I remember that the service was a little wishy-washy there," Rosalie told Esme, "That's probably it. If he knew you were calling he would have answered."

She nodded, "Yeah." It took her a minute or two to get back to neutral after her ten minutes of worry.

Caleb entered the room with Delilah at his side. All of them looked at them at the same time.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, overhearing just a small part of their conversation.

Esme smiled and nodded, "Yeah, everything's fine."

"Your dad just got attacked by a wolf, that's all," Rosalie said with a smile.

"What?" he asked, looking at Esme.

"Rose," she said with a smile, shaking her head, "He's visiting with Kayla and Jeremy. I guess one of their friends didn't know who Dad was and started to attack. He's fine though."

"Alright," he said with a nod.

"Does anyone have their phone number?" Bella asked. "Maybe you could call them just to be sure."

Esme nodded, "I don't know why I didn't try them at their phones." She went through her contact list and found one the one that said K & J. She quickly hit the send button once their name was highlighted. On the second ring, Kayla picked up.

"Hello," she answered.

"Kayla, it's Esme," she said, "I was just having a hard time getting in touch with Carlisle. Is he there?"

She snickered, "Yes he is. One minute."

A moment later, Esme smiled and sighed when she heard his voice.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," relief filled her voice. "I tried calling you a few times."

"You did?" he asked. "I'm sorry. I didn't get them. I'm sorry, Esme."

"It's okay," she said, laughing from alleviation of the anxiety, "Alice just had a vision and you kind of went off her radar. I was just nervous, but we got confirmation from Nicole that you were alright."

"Yeah, I got in touch with Kayla and Jeremy," Carlisle told her, "They aren't far from where I'm staying so I just dropped by."

"Tell her about the fight," Jeremy said in the background, making Carlisle chuckle.

"With the wolf?" Esme asked.

"Yeah," he said, "It was nothing."

She laughed, "You'll have to tell me about it when you get back."

"I will," he assured her.

Esme was tempted to tell him about the baby, but held her tongue. She knew how happy it would make him, but she wanted to do as Rosalie suggested and wait until he got back home. On the same note, Caleb was standing a few feet away. She wasn't quite ready to tell him or Alex, either.

"Well," she said, "I love you. Be careful the rest of the trip."

"I will, and I love you too. I'll call you tonight when I leave."

"Okay. Tell everyone hello, and try not to cause any more trouble."

Carlisle laughed, "I won't."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait."

"Me too."

"I'll talk to you in a few hours," he assured her.

"Okay."

She hung up, then looked at Caleb. "Oh, did you want to talk to him?"

"Nah, it's fine," he said, waving his hand, "Just wanted to make sure he was alright."

Esme sighed and smiled at her son. The rest of them did the same and he suddenly began to feel outnumbered and self-conscious.

"Alright, well, we're going back in the other room."

"Bye Caleb," Alice said, waving her fingers at him.

"Bye Alice," he said back, turning away as he did.

Esme looked at Alice.

"Don't worry about it," she assured her.

She shook her head, but didn't really push the issue. She looked down and put a hand on her stomach as something moved again.

"Can I...?" Bella asked.

"Sure," Esme said with a smile, knowing Bella was hoping to be in the same boat in a few months.

She smiled and placed her hand gently on Esme's stomach, smiling as the child moved just slightly. The two of them smiled at each other and Alice grinned. Rosalie was just happy that there was going to be another baby in the house.


	14. Mindset of a War

**My friend is pushing to enter the video I posted in Chapter 12 into this really low-key local contest. I think the winner gets a $50 gift card, it's that low-key LOL. We worked on it together, so just wondering if anyone had any pros & cons about it. I don't know if I'm up to actually enter or not, but I would like to know your input (all criticism is highly welcome because that's how we can make it better). Thanks again all!**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Aro stormed back to the Volturi's home, pushing open the double doors that led to his throne, sending all eyes in his direction. Demetri and Felix's smiles faded, upon abruptly halting their laughter on their leader's infuriated arrival.

Caius and Marcus both rose from where they sat, acknowledging a stir in his presence. Caius looked angered, and Marcus more curious as Aro flipped the side of his cloak with one arm in a sense of heated fury.

"This _must_ end!" he barked, slamming his fist so hard onto one of the stone tables that it collapsed and fell to the floor in a heap.

Jane entered the room promptly and Demetri and Marcus closed in on Aro. He glared at them for a moment, angered by their laughter prior to his entrance.

"While you were here enjoying your evening, I was busy being attacked just outside of the city." He pointed his finger in the direction of one of the walls, still settling his eyes angrily on Felix.

"Who were the attackers?" Caius asked, appearing ready to go take them on.

"Strangers," Aro said, then laughed with dark sarcasm, "Nothings. Passerbyers. Vagabonds."

"Where are they now?"

Aro smiled at his brother, "In pieces, I assure you." His eyes moved back to Felix, "Will the two of you go clean up the mess and don't return until their pieces are ash."

Felix nodded once and left the premises with Demetri.

"Not Micah and Helen, I presume," Jane said dryly.

"No," Aro said, then looked at her intently with a thoughtful expression, "I do believe it's time, however."

"Time for what?" Caius asked.

Aro turned to him, "Time for a change; time to get things back to the way they were."

Caius smiled, and Jane looked at him with an intense, appreciative stare.

"What do you suppose we do?" she asked.

"Years ago we were feared," Aro stated, "We were looked upon as, I hate the word, but a type of government. No one would have crossed us, for they knew what would happen. Now, I have to kill off two beings who will never be missed because they attempted to take my life. It was hardly a challenge, but others will follow; others will attempt the same things as they have on myself, and our dear Alec."

Jane didn't break her stare, wanting him to say the words that she had been longing to hear since her brother's demise, or even before.

"We were never second-guessing ourselves back then," he went on, "And that's going to begin again today."

Caius smiled and looked at Marcus' tired expression.

"What is the solution?" Marcus asked dryly.

"The solution, brother, is to do what we are made to do; what we're here for," Aro explained, "We have never been afraid to fight. We're too strong, experienced... gifted." His eyes flickered to meet Jane's again. "Sometimes, you have to do something drastic in order to make a point and restore order; justified or not."

Caius stepped forward just slightly without realizing he did so. He held a half-smirk, but stood intensely behind Aro and the words he spoke.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"People are second-guessing the strength of our coven," Aro told them, "We haven't given people too many second-chances."

"The Cullens?" Jane asked. She made eye contact with Caius.

"I suppose all the things we've looked past with their coven will now serve as the reason why this will be a fair attack." Aro nodded once as he spoke, then looked to Caius, "I know you'd like to look after Delilah," he said, "We can kidnap her and the boy and hide them here."

"We won't have to," he said, "I can just send for her to visit. The boy can come with her, only because I intend to extend the bloodline of my family for as long as possible. And I don't overly care for her. It's just an interesting hobby of mine to keep the members of my bloodline alive; nothing more."

"So, you wouldn't care if she hated you for all of eternity then?" Aro asked with a smile, "For killing off the family of young Caleb?"

"Not at all," Caius said back with a smile, "I'd just prefer it if her life was preserved. If she gets in the way, we can discuss other options."

"Fair enough," Aro told him, unable to keep the smile from his face, despite how angry he was internally. "Jane?"

She nodded, "What are we going to do about Edward's mate?"

He thought for a moment, drawing images of Bella in his mind, "We'll have to kill her, or subdue her as early as possible. However," he paused, "Here are my thoughts on the matter. We have to go into this with the mindset that it will be a war. Some of us may die. Some of us will live. But no matter what the outcome, we will not back down until we kill of as many of their coven as possible. I don't care if they know we'll be coming. I don't care what gifts they may have. Ours are stronger. We have an army to stand by our backs, and we'll create more if we need to."

Caius nodded heavily, and Marcus did once, knowing he wouldn't mind in the slightest if he happened to be one of the casualties. It would prove to be his most dangerous tactic: the lack of fear in death; nothing to lose.

"I've spent centuries on this earth," Caius said, "So if it's my time, it's my time. If not, then I intend to return to Volterra stronger than ever."

"We'll send a message to the vampire world that we _are_ effective," Aro said, "And the consequences will rain down on whoever crosses this coven, or puts our kind in jeopardy."

"I'm willing to die," Jane said in a monotone voice. She looked at Caius, then to Aro.

"But if we use all we've got," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Then we will not fall. We will rise, and your brother's death will finally find the vengeance that he so rightfully deserves. We will fight this fight for him, and we will win this fight for him. Make no mistake."

"I'm ready when you are," she told him.

"How will we get the Cullen boy to stay with us?" Marcus asked.

"He'll stay for his... love," Aro said with a smile, "And we'll be sure to make his stay quite comfortable."

"Sometimes the only way to regain order is make an example out of your strongest enemy" Caius stated.

"Indeed," he responded, "I will not be made a mockery of any longer."


	15. Surprise

**Chapter 15**

Esme had taken the time to tell Alex and Caleb about the baby. She had approached her daughter first, as she felt she was the easiest of the two to talk to in regards to the subject. Caleb, though, was extremely happy for his mother and promised he wouldn't say anything to Carlisle, or anyone. He also used her happiness to get the easy "okay" to spend the day at Delilah's. He knew his father would be arriving home that evening so he agreed to be back before midnight.

Emmett, Edward and Jasper all returned home at the same time upon the conclusion of their boys trip to Canada. Rosalie, Bella and Alice all filled them in on the news.

"I'm not all that great at secrets," Emmett joked, "But I guess I'll keep my mouth shut on this one."

Esme smiled at him, "Thank you Emmett."

"Where's Caleb?" he asked.

"Delilah's."

Emmett looked over at Edward and smiled, then put his hand over his heart, making his brother laugh. Esme chuckled at their boyish antics.

"So, I hear Carlisle got attacked by a wolf," Emmett went on. "Nicole called."

"I guess it was some kind of misunderstanding," Esme said with a shrug, "I was worried there for a minute, but he was laughing on the phone with me, and Jeremy was making jokes in the background, so I guess things were alright."

He smiled and walked over, picking Esme up off the ground before giving her a big kiss on the cheek. Unlike Bella, who asked for Esme's permission, Emmett placed his hand on her stomach, hoping to feel some movement, making her laugh. She readjusted his hand a few times before he finally got the small movement he was looking for.

"Another boy... wow," he said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Esme asked, picking up the sure nature in his voice.

Emmett smiled and laughed, "Just a guess."

Edward gave Esme a softer hug and a smile. "See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."

She grinned at him a nodded, "Thank you."

Bella had a huge smile on her face, and Esme almost slipped and said she was next, but bit her tongue, knowing that Edward had said to keep their decision under the radar for the time being.

"I'm going to start up a little fire out back," Emmett told them, "First one of the season." He smiled, "Anyone want to join me and... roast some marshmallows?"

Rosalie grinned and linked her arm through his at the same time Alice did the same to Jasper.

William, Madison and Mackenzie all made their way downstairs and agreed to join.

"Hey, Dad," William said, "Me and Maddy are going to take a trip to Denali in a couple weeks, just so you know. I told Mom already, but if you guys want to come you can."

Rosalie nodded to Emmett, who smiled, "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Am I invited?" Mackenzie asked with a grin. "I haven't been to Denali."

"Of course you are," Rosalie said, putting an arm over her shoulders. The five of them walked out toward the patio to where Alice and Jasper had beat Emmett to setting up fire in the fireplace.

Edward and Bella stood talking with Esme for a moment before all three of them joined the rest of the family outside.

"Where are Alex and Michael?" she asked.

"Upstairs cuddling under the covers," William said in a girly voice, "Nicole was sitting at the foot of the bed talking about girly things with Alex, though, so I'm sure Michael's just _loving_ his life right now."

"Quiet William!" Nicole's voice shouted.

He snickered and smirked, then pulled Madison playfully onto his lap into a chair that was set up by the fire pit.

Their family spent the evening talking and laughing. Alex, Michael and Nicole joined them eventually and Esme suddenly wished that Caleb and Delilah were there. Her youngest son was always off on his own, doing his own thing, and she missed his company. Even though it took him a little longer to get there, he still grew up too fast.

"They all do," Edward reassured her, responding to her unspoken thoughts.

"I know," she said with a nod.

"Daddy's home," Rosalie said with a smile, hearing the engine in Carlisle's car.

Alexandra looked at Esme, smirking for a second, before she leaned back and put her feet up on the ledge of the fire pit.

"It makes me nervous when you do that," Esme told her.

She purposely gave an overly loud sigh, but smiled and returned to her original position, drawing a quiet laugh from Michael.

Esme smiled as he kissed her daughter gently on the cheek. She thought for a moment that they were such a wonderful couple.

When opened the patio doors that led to where everyone sat together, Esme suddenly felt slightly nervous. Edward chuckled, and looked toward Bella, trying to hide his laughter.

"I heard you had a run-in with an oversized dog," Emmett said, drawing a quick laugh from Carlisle.

"Something like that," he told him, shaking his head a second later.

"Those damn wolves," Alex said, joking around. She smiled at her father, who made eye contact with her for a moment before they both started to laugh.

Carlisle looked to where Esme sat and took the empty chair beside her with a smile. "Where's Caleb?"

"With Delilah."

"Why don't they come here?" he asked, looking around.

Alice and Edward exchanged a look that Carlisle picked up on, but he didn't ask.

"You know how new vampires couples are," Emmett said casually with a wide grin.

Rosalie put an embarrassed hand on her forehead and looked at Alice, shaking her head.

Carlisle stared across the way at him for a moment before Edward broke the awkward moment, "How was the trip... aside from almost getting eaten by a wolf?" He laughed at his own comment.

"Fine," he said with a nod, "You know, you and Rosalie should attend things like that. You could keep up with what they're practicing today."

He nodded in agreement, as did Rosalie.

"I'd love to go back and take some more classes," she said honestly. "I feel like I haven't been... challenged mentally for awhile."

"You should," Carlisle said with a shrug and smile, "If it's something you're interested in."

Emmett squeezed her shoulder, "Do it babe. Bring me home that money!"

She snickered and leaned into him, "Maybe."

"Dad, why don't _you_ become a doctor," William said in an obviously joking tone.

Emmett leaned forward in his chair, pretending to be mad, "What, you don't think I could?"

"If I were human and I was on the operating table," Jasper said, "And I woke up to you standing above me, I'd just assume that's where my life would end."

"Shut up Jasper," Emmett said with a laugh. Everyone else couldn't help but chuckle at their back and forth fake argument.

"I think you'd be a great doctor Dad," Mackenzie said, appearing to be the only one siding with him.

"Oh, you're such a kiss ass," William said, tossing a small rock in her direction.

"Thank you Mac," Emmett said, giving his son a look.

Rosalie pulled Emmett back down into his seat and laughed.

Carlisle smiled and looked around at everyone, "It was so... boring alone in that hotel," he said, "I missed you guys."

"Awww..." Emmett said at the same time as Rosalie and Alice. He stroked his cheek beneath his eye as if to draw a teardrop.

Esme laughed and put a hand on his back. He looked at her with and shook his head.

"Man, you guys are really giving it to the guys tonight," Nicole said, "Emmett... Carlisle... who can we tease next?"

"How about Edward?" Rosalie suggested, looking in his direction. Bella began to laugh.

"Why is it when that the ladies always laugh when their significant other is being made fun of?" Emmett asked, now referring to Bella.

"Because it's funny," Alice whispered loudly. She turned as Jasper nudged her and planted a few kisses on his lips.

"Grosssss..." Nicole said with a laugh.

Alex put her feet back up on the ledge and Esme looked back in her direction. "Alex... feet."

Her daughter sighed again and laughed, removing her feet from where they were positioned next to the fire.

"Listen to your mom," Michael told her.

Alex grabbed the lower part of his face and put her hand back and forth a few times before kissing him once.

William leaned an ear toward the house and looked at Michael, "It's on," he told him.

"What?" Michael asked.

"It's on," he repeated, "This Is the End... the movie we wanted to watch that somebody..." he motioned his head an arm in Maddy's direction, "... wouldn't let us watch."

Maddy looked at him and shook her head, then stood up, "Fine... go ahead."

Emmett made a whipping noise and his son looked back in his direction, shaking his head.

"Don't act like you're not whipped Emmett," Jasper told him dryly, then smirked.

"You got that right," Rosalie said, looking over at him. She began to laugh when his serious face didn't immediately fade.

Alex stood up from where she sat, then reached her hands down and pulled Michael up, "Come on, let's go see what all the hype is about his movie."

The departure of the four of them slowly led to everyone else gradually making their way back inside. Emmett and Rosalie were the last to remain on the patio as Carlisle and Esme, and Edward and Bella headed in at the same time.

"Do you have to work tomorrow Carlisle?" Edward asked him.

He shook his head, "I actually have the next two days off and the following day I'm just on call. So I may get three days off."

"Well, that'll be good," Bella said, nonchalantly looking at Esme.

Carlisle looked at her for a moment and nodded, then looked at Esme. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Well, why don't you go unpack," Edward said. He smiled at him and put his arm around Bella then walked away, looking back at Esme for a moment before they left the room.

Carlisle gave Esme a kiss. She smiled, now happily anxious about how to break the news to him.

"So, our son doesn't want to be with us anymore huh?" he joked.

"Caleb?"

He nodded, still holding her close.

Esme's eyes drifted over his shoulder toward the clock on the wall. It read just a little after ten. "I told them to be back before midnight."

Carlisle adjusted so he could see the clock and smiled. "He's happy."

"I think Delilah still feels awkward being here."

"She'll adjust," he assured her, quickly finding her mouth with his own again.

Esme began to kiss him, grinning as she did, before she began to laugh. "Let's go upstairs so you can unpack." He agreed and grabbed his bag from the ground where he'd left it upon meeting them out in the back.

The two of them headed upstairs and Esme smiled as Carlisle tossed a few things into the laundry basket.

"You look like a business man," she told him, pointing out his formal attire.

Carlisle looked down, then snickered and shrugged. "Masen's tie," he said, playing with the piece of fabric against his chest.

Esme smiled, "Is it really?"

He nodded, "I guess it got tossed in the mix when we were packing up to move here."

She smiled as he crossed the room, giving her a few kisses again. Carlisle spun them around so he stood behind her with his arms around her, and the two of the looked in the mirror.

"You're so beautiful," he told her.

Esme smiled, feeling his hand slide just beneath the fabric of her shirt across her stomach. She was hoping that the baby would move while his hand was still there. She placed hers over his and kept it securely just below her bellybutton.

Carlisle leaned his head down to kiss her neck, then stopped and made eye contact with Esme in the mirror. She couldn't help but giggle a bit, as she felt the slightest movement in her stomach. He didn't ask her anything at first, as he looked a little confused. His eyes shifted to her midsection and Esme lifted her shirt so just her stomach was showing. He kept his hand there and waited a moment before there was another movement.

Esme began to laugh and turned around toward him, "Surprise."


	16. A Tear For Esme, A Tear For Alice

**Chapter 16**

Carlisle looked at Esme's glowing face and excited eyes. He snickered once and smirked, then gave her a full-fledged smiled and pulled her in tightly for a hug, while continuing to laugh from his happiness.

Esme smiled wide and leaned into his chest, pulling him as close to her as possible. He looked down and smiled, then kissed her again enthusiastically.

"How long have you known?" he asked, running a hand through her hair, and then eager dropped a hand to her stomach again.

Esme giggled, "Since yesterday."

Carlisle smiled again and kissed her for a longer period of time. "I love you," he told her, pulling her toward him. He sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up her shirt just slightly again.

"I love you too," she told him, playing with his hair as he leaned the side of his face against her mid section.

He pulled back for a second with a laugh as the baby moved again, then sat back again. He couldn't keep his hands off of her stomach, wanting to feel every movement he could. Esme decided to just remove the shirt to make it easier for him.

"Why didn't you tell me right away?" he asked, still unable to keep a grin from his face.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Esme told him, "I wanted to be next to you when I told you."

Carlisle pulled her onto the bed and climbed lightly on top of her. She put her arms around him and accepted every kiss he gave her, as she could tell he had no intention of stopping.

"Did Alice say whether it was a boy or a girl?" he asked.

Esme shook her head, "I think we should wait and let it be a surprise."

"I think it's a girl," he whispered, scooting back down so his face was level with the center of her body. He kissed the area around her belly-button, then kept his hands there and moved his lips back against hers again. "I'm so happy," he told her quietly.

Esme got suddenly emotional and sighed, "Me too."

Carlisle kissed her on the cheek once, then just as lightly again on the lips. He smiled as a happy tear fell from the corner of Esme's eye, and wiped it away.

"I was beginning to think it might not be able to happen," she told him with a relieved type of laugh, "After what happened the last time I was pregnant."

"This was just meant to happen now, that's all," he told her with a chuckle.

Esme nodded and kissed him again. "I love you so much Carlisle."

"I love you too."

...

Alice sat next to Jasper in their bedroom and stared blankly toward the wall as he flipped through the stations on the television. When her mood suddenly changed, he glanced over and immediately recognized she was having a vision.

He waited patiently, staring into her eyes for a moment, though they didn't look back. They looked elsewhere at the images her brain was sending to the sixth sense she possessed.

"Alice," he finally said quietly, drawing no initial response. His hand drifted to her back and he waited in a close, comforting manner for the vision to pass.

Edward entered their room in a stealthy fashion with Bella, not knocking upon already knowing what the two of them were thinking. He shut the door lightly behind him and made eye contact with Jasper.

"She hasn't said a word yet," he told Edward.

"I can see what she's thinking," he whispered. The horrified tone of his voice chilled Bella to the core.

"Edward?" she asked, "Tell me." Bella's eyes drifted to where Alice sat. She didn't even seem aware that the two of them had entered the room.

"Is it bad?" Jasper asked him lightly.

Edward's stare became almost as blank as Alice's. He stared at his sister, wanting desperately to communicate, though he couldn't. He knew she wasn't quite done, but from what he had already seen in her mind, he knew it would be difficult to repeat.

Alice's hand drifted toward where her mouth hung open in a type of shock. Her looked scared everyone, as did Edward's, who stood with his jaw clenched. The look in his eyes was beginning to become indescribable.

Bella had never seen either of them with the look they both wore. They were frightened; sad; heartbroken; all of those wrapped into one."

"Alice," Jasper said lightly again, hoping she would acknowledge him, but she didn't. He could easily feel what she was feeling; dread, coldness, sadness. They proved to be quite the overwhelming combination. He felt like his own heart was sinking and being shredding to pieces just from the feelings that radiated out of her.

"Edward," Bella said his voice in a begging tone. She slipped her hand into his. "Can you please tell me what's happening." She looked over and met Jasper's stare, who looked out of the loop, but had a better gist of the seriousness nature of what Alice was continuing to visualize.

Her eyes began to move back and forth and her eyebrows pressed together.

Edward turned to Bella, looking as if he was about to have a break down.

"Edward _what _is it?" she asked more forcefully, though didn't mean to. Her anxiety began to get the best of her.

"Edward, if you can tell us..." Jasper said, letting his words drift as a shimmer caught his attention.

Bella and Edward both glanced over at the same time and Jasper put a hand gently on Alice's face as a teardrop trickled down her cheek and dripped off the bottom of her chin.

The two of them looked back up to her face, while Jasper's eyes followed the tear as if it moved in slow motion. It spun and droplets separated in its flight before it crashed into the ground, hitting Jasper more like a tidal wave than a single drop from his wife's tear duct. That one action revealed to him that something bad was on the horizon.


	17. Keep It Together

**Chapter 17**

Alice snapped out of what she was seeing and dried her eyes, sweeping a second tear that made its way out of her other eye. "I need to talk to Nicole. There was a huge part missing."

Edward looked at her, and Bella and Jasper still wanted answers.

"That's how things will pan out as of right now?" Edward asked her.

"There's always room for change," she said in a more stern tone that normal, "You know that. It happens all the time."

"But you ran a lot of scenarios," he told her, shaking his head.

"There are other possibilities."

"What did you see Alice?" Jasper asked. Bella seemed to be asking the same question with her eyes, though Jasper just asked it first.

"A lot," she told him, lending an ear out in Carlisle and Esme's direction. The two of them continued to relish in the happiness of Esme's pregnancy news. She then looked to Jasper, "Can you get Nicole for me? I'll explain everything to you when we're out of the house, okay?"

He nodded once and quickly made his way to try nonchalantly getting their daughter.

"Why do you think half of the vision is missing?" Edward whispered, indicating to Bella that he, too, would explain things elsewhere.

"It's either the Quileute reservation, or Montana," she told him, "That's my best guess. I've only seen Aro coming to pay his respects."

"Pay his respects?" Bella asked.

Edward and Alice both looked at her before Jasper and Nicole entered the room.

"I know," Nicole said with a nod, "I know what this is about."

"We have to put our heads together to change the future," Alice whispered. Her daughter nodded.

Edward took Bella's hand, "Come on. We'll go out and talk about it." He looked at Alice and the five of the left the premises of the house. Alice gave a false cheery wave and a smile to Emmett and Rosalie, who still sat on the patio together. They waved, thinking nothing of their journey toward the woods and continued talking.

Esme's laughter and Carlisle's words of praise about their child gave Edward a deep, morose feeling in the pit of his stomach. He somehow felt that the situation was indirectly his fault. He knew things hadn't been the same since the first time the entire Volturi coven and the guard arrived in Forks. He knew things were bound to end where they would end, but he couldn't let the fate of their family end the way Alice saw it.

Bella only took her eyes off Edward when she sensed something was in her immediate path, ducking through trees and dodging other miscellaneous elements of nature that made their home in the woods.

Alice finally stopped and they all looked at each other.

"What did you mean when you said Aro would come to pay his respects?" Bella asked again.

"Aro won't be there," Nicole said, shaking her head.

"He won't be where?" Alice asked.

"The reservation," she told her, "Where Kayla and Jeremy live."

"What's going to happen there?" Jasper asked.

"They're going to come full force. Demetri knows Micah and Helen have been there. I think that's the excuse they'll need to attack. They're bringing... everyone."

"But not Aro," Edward stated, already knowing.

"He'll be off visited Seth and Lucy," Nicole told them.

"And that will be his alibi," Alice concluded, "That will be his ticket to say he wasn't directly involved. He doesn't want to lose Luciana. He's left the planning and the attack and everything up to Caius."

Edward looked at her, "They're fully prepared to die if that's what it takes."

"Aro will read Esme's mind, and yours Edward," Alice told him.

"I thought you said Aro won't be there," Bella pointed out.

She shook her head, "I can't see their attack," she reminded her, "I can only see the aftermath."

Jasper looked relieved, and Edward could see that he was thinking that must have meant Alice would survive whatever was to come, considering she could see the future beyond the fight.

"What's the aftermath?" Bella ask. She squeezed Edward's hand, though her eyes were directly on Alice's.

She sighed, "When things begin to calm down, and word spreads, our friends, and old friends of Carlisle's will come to pay their respects, Aro included."

"What are you thinking about their eyes?" Edward asked, "The Irish coven, Siobhan, Liam, Maggie..." He continued to read her mind, "And Benjamin and Tia."

Alice found it hard to speak for a moment, "They'll take on our diet, in memory of Carlisle."

"What?" Bella asked, practically screaming. She looked at Edward.

"All of them will come. It won't be a public funeral, but they'll all come collectively; the Denalis, the Irish, the Egyptians, Alistair, the Amazons, Peter and Charlotte..." She looked at Jasper as his head seemed to snap up in her direction.

"You mean... Carlisle's going to... or you've seen him... die?" Bella asked.

Edward cringed painfully at the thought and looked over at her, then to Alice.

Nicole looked down solemnly and played with some dirt beneath her shoe.

"Anyone else?" Jasper asked.

Nicole looked at Edward and seemed to be biting the insides of cheeks as she struggled to come to terms what she had seen. "I don't know," she said.

Edward looked around at everyone's faces in the tight circle where they stood.

"There has to be a way to change this," Jasper said, "We shouldn't go to Montana. My main source of protection applies to you, and the rest of our coven."

"I've played that scenario, too," Alice said. She shook her head. "They're coming full force regardless, and things always end the same way. If we stay here, there will be more casualties."

"We'll do better with the wolves," Nicole said with a nod.

"I've been trying to change my own decisions," Alice told them, "And my vision doesn't change."

"I would never let Aro get away with this," Edward said, "Neither would any of us; Jasper, Emmett..." He shook his head, "Where does he come off thinking he could go to something like a funeral for..."

"We'll change the outcome," Bella said, refusing to believe that that's how things would end.

"Alice..." Edward said, shaking his head sadly.

"I'm sorry," she told him, letting a few more tears streak down her face, "I can't get the image out of my head."

"Of what?" Bella and Jasper both asked. Nicole looked up at her.

"Of Esme," she said, "Standing there shaking everyone's hand, Aro's included. He'll read her thoughts and it'll be her grief, alone, that will drive him away. He'll back off from our family because he'll know that the we won't be the same with Carlisle. It's what they want. They'll think it will solve everything."

"But it won't," Nicole said.

Alice looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

"It won't solve their problems. It will create bigger ones. If Carlisle dies..." she sighed heavily thinking about it, "Then Jacob and Edward will kill Aro... together... at a later date... in Italy. On the same night Benjamin will set fire to their lair and cause a mass panic the in city. Things will become a mess for their coven. Marcus won't attempt to leave. He'll stay and burn with their home. Caius will be nothing without the two of them. They'll scatter to save themselves."

Alice nodded, having seen only part of what her daughter was describing, particularly because it involved Jacob. "Others will continue to take revenge." She looked at her daughter as the two of them began to put the story together.

"What would happen to Esme?" Bella asked.

"She'll be numb for awhile, but their baby will help her go on the most."

Edward suddenly got a vision in Alice's mind of Jasper sitting solemnly in the corner of a dark room with tears streaking down his face. She tried to push the image away, knowing he could see it, but it was still there in the back of her mind. He didn't ask, knowing she must not have wanted Jasper to know of that part of her vision.

"I don't think it's the right time to bring this up to everyone," Alice said, "Especially to Carlisle and Esme. Let me get my thoughts together with Nicole, and we'll come up with a plan together. I know it's going to be hard, but keep this to yourselves. If you have to leave the house in order to do so, then do it."

Edward gave Bella a nod, who nodded at him first and then Alice.

"Okay," Nicole agreed, looking at her father. He took her under his arm for a moment and she clung to his side.

Alice ran a hand down her daughter's arm, "We can change this, but we have to think fast and rationally."

The five of them stayed out in the woods for a little while, not wanting to go back to the house. Eventually, that was inevitable. When they got back, the lively atmosphere seemed different. The fire in the pit that had been kept alive by Emmett and Rosalie was nothing but a pile of ash. Little embers flickered in the center of the stones, but it was otherwise dead. Empty chairs were scattered about and only one or two lights could been in the windows of the entire estate.

Jasper leapt into the window of the bedroom that he and Alice shared. She followed just behind after Nicole asked if she could just stay in her own room privately for awhile.

Edward opened the patio doors for Bella, leading into the quiet living room. No lights were on, though the neon blue radiance from the television gave the room an eerie glow. The two of them were glad there was no one in the immediately area. As they walked, they passed through the kitchen, where Michael and Alex sat talking quietly with smiles. A deck of cards sat between them, though they appeared to have taken a break from whatever game they were playing.

The two of them waved, and Edward and Bella returned the gesture, as they headed toward their room in order to avoid questions.

Rosalie and Emmett were both laughing, and a small splash indicated that they were in the pool area together. Caleb and Carlisle were talking upstairs, and Edward could sense that Delilah was also in the house. Their thoughts were as carefree as ever and he knew it was best to keep it that way for now.

"Nicole's back I think," Maddy's voice said.

"Is she in her room?" Mackenzie asked, looking for her partner in crime.

"Go roam around and look," William told her.

"Be nice to your little sister," Maddy told him.

Edward sighed, and felt Bella's eyes on him.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered.

"Hey!" Caleb said, passing by with a smile. He towed Delilah by the hand and she laughed with a wave, attempting to be polite and say "hello" but he moved them too fast.

"It's about time," Alex said, "Jeez, we've been waiting for ever to play this game for you two." Someone tapped the cards on the table, and they were then shuffled several times.

"Who's the dealer? Michael asked.

"I got it," Caleb offered.

Edward looked at Bella and stopped to kiss her once. "We'll figure it out," he whispered.

The two of them took the stairs slowly, passing by Carlisle's office. Esme sat on his lap snugly and she was beginning to flip through an old photo album. His hand was on her stomach, which was just slightly exposed and the two of them looked happy.

Edward knew he wouldn't be able to fake a smile for very long, and so he just gave the two of them a wave as they passed by.

Esme giggled as she spoke, "You should come look at these pictures you guys. There are some good ones of Renesme in here when she was little."

He took a deep breath and looked at the two of them for a moment, then forced a smile as Alice had told him to do. Bella followed him into the room and Carlisle replaced his hand on the arm of the chair as Esme turned the book so he could see.

A true smile crossed his face at the photos of his daughter as a child. He flipped through a few pages before handing the book back to Esme. His eyes shifted to meet Carlisle's and he nodded to him, "Congratulations Carlisle."

"Thanks Edward," he told him with a grin. Esme looked over her shoulder at him and smiled.

"Yeah, congratulations," Bella said with a nod.

"Thank you," Carlisle told her.

Edward stared at Esme, smiling still, "We're just going to give Renesme a call, actually. Leave that out for us."

She nodded and settled back down against Carlisle.

Bella and Edward turned, letting their smiles turn to glowering frowns. He draped an arm around her shoulders and the two of them wandered away to the sanctuary of their bedroom.


	18. The Only Way

**Chapter 18**

Alice sat thinking. She changed the position where she sat several times, refusing to leave the confines of her mind until she came up with something. Jasper just watched her, standing quietly with his arms folded, throwing an idea out here and there.

She kept rejecting his plans, letting him know that they were good ideas but things just weren't panning out. The Volturi were too determined, and while their family could hold their own, they would face life-altering losses if Alice couldn't find the right move to make. It was a like a chess game; a life or death enigma that she hadn't quite solved.

"Edward and Bella just left," Jasper pointed out, sensing that their scents were beginning to fade upon the open and closure of the front door.

Alice nodded and looked across the room at him. Jasper waved her in his direction and she kissed him once. He got serious for a moment and toyed with her hair.

"I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Alice," he whispered.

She hugged him hard, looking over his shoulder as she took in his scent from the collar of his shirt. It was then that a far different scenario played in her mind, and she began to think more in depth on the subject. Her eyes moved back and forth and she squeezed him hard with both hands.

"What is it?" he asked, yet to pull away.

Alice pulled back and looked him in the eye, but didn't say anything. She knew her new plan could potentially hurt him, and the vision of him crying quietly still played in her mind. Still, she knew it could potentially be the only way.

"Nothing," she lied then spoke sincerely, "I'm lucky to have you Jas. I don't know what I would do without you, either."

He looked at her with a small stint of hope upon the hour or so of dread that followed their discussion in the woods.

_I have to have Alex block Edward's thoughts from me_, she thought, _if she can, then I'll know this plan is meant to be._

...

Esme and Alex made plans to have a mother-daughter night, agreeing to a late afternoon of shopping, followed by an early evening movie. They hadn't had one-on-one time in awhile, and both of them were eagerly looking forward to it.

The night before, Alice had been brief with Alex, but asked her to hold her gift onto Edward indefinitely until she said otherwise. She hoped it work and that both her thoughts and Carlisle's would be off limits to Edward. It would be the only way that her plan could be put into effect. Again, she felt as though if Alex's gift worked in their favor, it would be truly what they needed to get through the difficult time to come; if not, then maybe fate was already panned out.

Carlisle kissed Esme goodbye, and told the two of them to have a fun time before Alice practically ambushed him and pulled him out of the house with her. He didn't have time to ask questions, as she pulled him by the arm away from the house. She eventually released him, but he continued to follow, knowing something was going on.

Alice stopped in the same area she had led everyone else to the night before and looked at him. "Listen," she said, "Something big is about to happen, and I've only seen one possibly way to end it."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"The Volturi are going to come full force with everything they've got," she explained, breaking the scenario down piece by piece to him.

"Why are they doing this?" he asked.

"They think they aren't being taken seriously," Alice went on, "And they're blaming us for it. Demetri tracked Micah and Helen, and know they've been going to take shelter in Montana for some stability. If they need to, they'll use that as an excuse. Jasper suggested that we just stay here rather than help them, but they'll come here too. More of us will die if we stay, rather than go."

Carlisle looked thoughtful and hid his anxiety overly well. He ran a hand over his face thoughtfully and through his hair.

"There is one thing we can do to keep everyone safe," she told him, looking him in the eye.

"Okay," he nodded, "What?"

"We'll have to... sacrifice the happiness of Esme and Jasper... and everyone else."

"But they'll all be safe?"

Alice nodded reluctantly and swallowed hard. Tears welded up in her eyes as she began to rattle off her plan to Carlisle, ending the emotional discussion with, "It's the only way."

Carlisle sat down against a tree and leaned his elbows on his knees, folding his hands together. He rested them on the lower half of his face, just under his nose and sighed.

"I know," Alice said, with a nod. "They're strong. They'll get through it."

"Yeah..." he said, then sighed again. "Wow..."

She wiped tears from her eyes and Carlisle stood up, giving her a hug. "If that's the only way, then that's what we have to do."

"You'll have a son," Alice told him, "Esme will name him Carlisle at everyone's suggestion."

He laughed for a moment and fought back his own tears, "Another boy, huh?"

Alice laughed back, but sobbed simultaneously, "Yeah."

Carlisle hugged her again, and she hugged him back. He sighed and looked around the empty forest.

"Are you sure they'll be okay?" he asked.

"I'm sure," Alice said, "Positive-sure, in a physical sense. It's been the only way, but we have to leave them letters."

Carlisle nodded and replied solemnly, "Yeah."

"With specific instructions," she went on, "They'll follow the instructions because they'll come from you and I."

"Where should we leave them?" he asked, "So they'll know."

"With Bella," Alice explained. She removed her phone from her pocket and Carlisle watched as she connected with Bella.

The two of them continued to talk about what was to come before Bella arrived on her own to meet them.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking over her shoulder for a second.

Alice filled her in on the plan, and Bella looked overwhelmed, but agreed to what Alice had said. "You can't tell Edward," she said, "Or people may rearrange their own thoughts."

"I won't," she agreed, "I promise."

"Give them our letters when everyone returns back to the house," Alice said, "Esme's and Jasper's are crucial, but make sure they all receive them. I know this is heavy information, but-"

"I'll do it," she agreed without reluctance, "I'm sorry." She looked down, then back up at them.

Alice gave her a big hug and took an extra couple of seconds to let go. "This will work."

Bella cleared her throat upon getting emotional. "Yeah." She made eye contact with Carlisle for a second before he looked away, turning his back on the two of them for a moment and wandering a few steps away with his hand in his hair.

_This is going to destroy Esme and Jasper_, she thought.

They all exchanged looks and knew it was time to reveal to the rest of the family that the Volturi were planning an attack.


	19. Blind Faith

**Chapter 19**

Esme and Alex were still out when Carlisle, Alice and Bella returned. It didn't take long for them to catch up the rest of their family about what was in store for their future with the Volturi. Caleb looked the most frightened. He kept looking at Carlisle and positioned himself next to his father during the discussion. The mood had quickly become solemn, and following Alice and Nicole's explanation, no one said much. They sat in silence.

"What does this mean Dad?" Caleb asked quietly.

"We're going to come up with something, and defend ourselves as best we can," he told him.

"Some of us could die."

Carlisle looked toward Alice for a moment, then put an arm around his son, "We're going to do everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen."

"What about... what about the baby?" Caleb asked him.

He wasn't sure how to answer. "We'll sit down again as a group after everyone thinks things through. We'll come up with something. We've been down this road before."

Mackenzie sat talking quietly with Rosalie and Emmett, asking similar questions.

Michael approached Carlisle. "When Alex gets home, may I speak with her privately about this first?"

Carlisle looked at him and nodded, "Sure."

"Thank you," he said with a nod back.

He patted his son-in-law on the back and Michael gave the best smile he could force out. For the next half hour or so, no one really moved much. They sat together in the living room quietly. No one even really made eye contact. When Esme and Alex pulled back up to the house, Carlisle and Michael stood up.

"I'll be back," Carlisle said to Caleb, "Are you alright?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Go talk to Mom."

"We'll talk about this more."

"I know," Caleb told him, sinking back into the couch with Delilah closely tucked at his side.

Carlisle messed the hair up on his son's head and then followed Michael out the front door.

"Hey!" Alex said in a cheery voice as Michael walked up to her.

"Hey," he said, "Can we talk for a second?"

Her demeanor changed completely and she looked him in the eye, "Yeah. Sure."

Michael took her by the hand and led her away from the house. When they were about to round the corner, he stopped to give her a quick kiss before they proceeded to walk.

"What's wrong Carlisle?" Esme asked.

He reached down and grabbed her hand, bringing her toward the garage. "Alice and Nicole," he said, "They had a vision."

Esme's eyes closed slowly and didn't immediately reopen. Her posture changed and her hand, while remaining in Carlisle's, hung almost lifelessly in his.

"The Volturi are going to bring everyone they have full force," he told her, "It's going to happen in Montana."

She sighed and kept her eyes low, eyeing the ground rather than maintaining eye contact. "Why?" she asked, beginning to play with his hand in both of hers. She traced his ring finger and twisted his wedding ring gently.

"They've been attacked unprovoked," Carlisle told her, "Alice said they're just going to try to prove something, maybe blame it on Micah and Helen. Regardless, they're going to come."

"What if we were to stay here?" Esme asked.

He shook his head, "She told me there would be more fatalities if we stayed."

She sighed without looking up. "When?"

Carlisle placed his other hand over hers as she continued to play with his ring, "I don't know."

Esme closed her eyes and again and stopped was she was doing for a moment before looking up, "Why do things always work this way?" she asked him, "For a couple months we've been talking about having a baby and it didn't happen. Now, the second it happens, the Volturi plan to attack."

Carlisle didn't say anything.

"Which one is going to happen first?" Esme asked him.

"I don't know," he said, "I have to talk to Alice again. We should all sit down a second time."

"A second time?" Her eyes lifted to meet his.

"She just talked to me, and to everyone, while you and Alex were out."

"I want to know. Can we ask her?"

Carlisle nodded and before he could move, Alice was next to them in the light that shined down from the outside of the garage.

"You'll still be carrying the baby when this happens," Alice told her, "I've seen our decision to have to stay here, but you can't do that." She looked at Carlisle and she could tell he knew what that meant.

"Okay," she said with a nod.

"You'll be at Kayla and Jeremy's house," Alice said, she then lowered her voice, "And I have to tell you both something."

"What?" Carlisle and Esme asked at the same time.

"Caleb will be fine," she started, "But Caius is going to send a few of their guard members to kidnap him and Delilah."

"What!" Esme asked.

"It is the best case scenario," she told them, "And they'll return home unharmed. I promise you. But it's the best way to keep them out of harms way. All the Volturi will be here. Caleb and Delilah will be in Italy, but there will be hardly anyone there. I know this is hard but you have to believe me on this. They'll be rescued, and they'll be out of harm's way. All the... destruction... will happen in Montana."

Esme felt overwhelmed and leaned back against the garage door. "Caleb..." she shook her head, "I don't want him to be out there. I don't care if they're all here. I don't want him in Italy alone."

Alice looked her in the eye sympathetically, "I know. I would feel the same way if it was Nicole, but you have to trust me, Esme. Nothing will happen to him there. I promise you whole-heartedly."

She looked back at Alice and nodded. Carlisle closed the gap and put his arm around Esme's shoulders. She didn't even have it in her to hug him back. She didn't know how to react.

"I'll... be back if you need me," Alice said quietly. She looked at Carlisle for a moment before making her way back inside.

"Esme," he said, "Caleb will be fine."

"Nothing is set in stone," she said, shaking her head, "I can't justify just letting him get taken. I can't do that."

"We'll sit down and talk about this together. We can prepare Caleb."

"We can't prepare for these things," Esme disagreed. She looked at him, "This is going to be bad isn't it? This has a whole different feeling than in the past."

Carlisle looked down, knowing what he, Alice and Bella had spoken about in the woods earlier that night. Esme saw his expression and tried to make eye contact, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"What else?" she asked him.

He looked up at her and didn't say anything.

"Carlisle..." she said, "What else? There's something else."

He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, then finally found himself able to look her in the eyes. "You just have to trust me," he told her, speaking without a break in his voice despite the tears that began to streak down his face. "You have to trust that whatever happens, it's for the greater good."

"What does that mean?" she asked, more frightened now upon seeing his expression and the emotion behind it.

"You just have to trust me," Carlisle told her.

Esme knew she wanted to cry, but she felt like some force was keeping that from happening. All of this was too much for her to take in and her fear from the tone of Carlisle's voice took over.

He reached a hand out toward her face and kept it there gently, then kissed her cheek. "Can you do that?" he asked.

Esme finally felt her eyes started to water and she lightly placed her hand around him, rested it loosely on his lower back. "Of course I can trust you," she said, "But what are you talking about?"

Carlisle looked down and her eyes were locked on his. Both of her hands now clutched the back of his shirt and she was waiting for a truthful answer. He knew it was unfair to ask her to trust him when he couldn't even tell her the truth.

"Sometimes," he said, taking a deep breath, "You just have to have blind faith."

Tears dropped from Esme's eyes and she reached a hand up to dry his face. She didn't ask another question, realizing she didn't want to know the answer to the next one. She pressed herself firmly against him and Carlisle hugged her in a hard, comforting way.

Esme wanted to go run in and find Caleb, but she couldn't bring herself to separate herself from Carlisle. The look on his face scared her, and she knew how selfless her husband was. She knew he could give his life if it meant saving someone else in their family.

_Please God_, she prayed silently in her mind, _Please don't let anything bad happen to him._


	20. Emotions

**Chapter 20**

Alice pulled Carlisle aside when Esme made her way to Caleb. He glanced up and saw her hug both him and Delilah at the same time, placing kisses lightly on both of their foreheads. His heart ached from the pain she was already experiencing. Just a few short hours before she was on top of the world.

"What if we all just scatter?" Carlisle asked, "Go our separate ways and meet up at a mutual place."

"They're very determined," Alice said, "They won't stop, even if they didn't get what they wanted immediately, they would return soon after, or pursuit us right away again."

He sighed and looked down.

"If we don't do this," she whispered, "It'll cost more than just our lives... Emmett... William... Garrett..." Her voice was low, "Nicole told me she had seen all of that, on top of you and I."

"I know," Carlisle said with a nod, "It's not me I'm worried about. It's Esme... and you, Jasper, all the kids."

Alice put a finger up to her lips and Carlisle discontinued their conversation.

"Will she be okay?" he asked as quietly as he could.

She looked up to him and nodded very slowly and subtly.

Esme began to sob as she held Caleb, cradling his head close to her as they stood.

"Mom," he said calmly, "Nicole said things are going to be alright."

Carlisle couldn't take his eyes off of them. The moment was killing him, to see his family so distraught. He knew things wouldn't get better in the immediate future, or for a long time.

Alice pulled Carlisle in for a hug, seeing the look on his face. He hugged her back, still unable to take his eyes off his wife and son. When she let him go, she dried a few tears from his eyes before making her way to find Jasper without another word.

Carlisle let them have their moment and wandered down the long corridor with his hands in his pockets, eventually finding himself in his office. Of all the people in the house, he didn't pass another person. He was completely alone for several minutes until Alex made her way in to see him.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, or Mom or any of us," she told him, shaking her head, "Emmett already called Garrett and Kate. Their whole family is coming. I'm sure the Volturi won't be expecting that."

Carlisle nodded, wanting to give his daughter the impression that things would be alright. He didn't have the heart to rattle off the possibilities as Alice had done for him. Neither of them said anything until Alex made her way around his desk and wrapped her arms around him. She began to cry and the two of them stood there for several minutes. He felt his heart breaking, knowing what was to come; the images Alice had described would be far more emotional than what they were experiencing now.

"Alice has said that Michael will be fine," he told her, attempting to make her feel better, "In every single scenario."

Alex nodded. "Masen's coming."

"I know."

"If he's here, and if Caleb's here, they can heal everyone... and each other if need be. Right? How can we even lose?"

Carlisle pulled her back so she looked at him, "You're right Alex. You're absolutely right."

She looked up into her father's watery eyes, and knew the answer was far too simple. She knew that if he believed what she was saying he wouldn't have the tears in his eyes that were waiting to drop. Alex didn't want to ask him why. She wanted to go with the response he gave, regardless if neither of them believed it.

"Whatever happens," he told her, "Don't lose who you are. Don't let hate, or anger, guide your decisions in the future Alex."

Her eyes met his, and she shook her head, but agreed. "Okay."

Carlisle smiled and hugged his daughter again as she continued her bout of sobs. "Stay with Michael," he whispered, "Try your best to stay by his side."

"Okay," she choked out again. "Why does this feel different Dad? Everyone's been saying it. Michael said it."

He sighed, though didn't have an answer.

"Is the baby going to be okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "He won't be born until after it's over."

"He?" she asked, pulling back, wiping her eyes as she did. Mascara decorated the area under her eyes and the front of Carlisle's shirt.

Carlisle turned his mouth up in a half smile and nodded, "Yeah."

"Does Mom know?"

"No," he said shaking his head, "And she had told me once before that she wants it to be a surprise. Alice let it slip when we were talking."

Alex smiled and laughed, but cried at the same time. "Are you excited?"

"I would have been happy either way," he told her, "Boy or girl. I was hoping maybe you'd get a sister so the score was even, two boys, two girls."

She laughed, "The boys keep me tough."

Carlisle laughed back, "They sure do."

Alex let her laughter die down and she sighed heavily. She ran her hands under her eyes and realized her make-up was everywhere. "I'm just going to go wash my face," she told him.

He nodded and hugged her once more, kissing her forehead as Esme had done with Caleb.

"I love you," she told him.

"I love you too."

Alex walked slowly out of his office and Carlisle stood with his hands flat on the desk, looking down. He didn't know what to do. He knew their time leading up to that day would be full of sadness, dismay, preparation and anger. It was a mindset he hated to wrap himself in, but he knew it was necessary and inevitable. They had to all harden on the outside, and the inside in order to get through what was to come.

He closed his eyes and stood in silence, focusing at first on his thoughts and then just listening to the clock tick. Each second that ticked by was a second closer to the day when things would change. Things would change for their family, at least for awhile.

Carlisle was so wrapped in his own mind that he was surprised, but didn't stir, when he felt Esme's hand touch his on top of the desk. He looked up and the two of them just stared at each other for a moment, before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Esme," he said without breaking his stare, "I'm... I'm sorry."

She squeezed his hand and leaned across the desk, kissing him once. He kept his eyes open as she did, watching hers close for less than a second before she reopened them and took her lips away from his.

"Is something going to happen to you?" she asked him.

Carlisle wasn't completely taken off-guard, but he didn't know how to answer. "I don't know," he said. "But in all scenarios, you're going to be fine."

"What about you?" she asked him again, "What's going to happen?"

"Nicole could only give some of it," he explained, "But regardless-"

Esme looked over her shoulder and went to shut the door, making him stop mid-sentence. She returned, still on the opposite side of his desk. "I can't do this without you, Carlisle," she whispered as quietly as possible.

Carlisle felt his eyes begin to go against the wishes of his brain and tears fell from his eyes again.

"Something's wrong and you can't tell me," she told him, crying silently too, as she spoke. "I've never seen you like this."

He wasn't sure what to say, as he took in a deep breath, unable to look away from her eyes. "You just have to trust me."

Esme cried a little harder, "What does that mean?" she asked, "I do. I honestly do, I just want to know the rest of it."

Carlisle rounded the desk and pulled her against him, kissing her with a hard urgency two or three times in a row. "I'm sorry," he told her again.

She decided not to keep pushing, despite how terribly she wanted to. She wanted to get every detail he had been told that he hadn't shared with her. Esme trusted him that it was for her own good, but the thought made her feel worse. The fact that he was leaving something out let her know that it was something that would hurt her deeply. Carlisle didn't have it in him to hurt her, and she knew that.

"The baby..." she asked.

"The baby will be fine," he told her.

Esme sighed and Carlisle pulled her in, feeling the baby's movement against his own mid-section.

"I hope she's not going to be effected by all this," Esme said, "My negative emotions. The attack."

Carlisle wanted to tell her that the baby was a boy, but he didn't. He wanted Esme to find out the way she had already intended to. He let his hand drift beneath her shirt, as he'd done a countless number of times since realizing they were going to have another child. The baby moved where ever he placed his hand and Esme smiled, letting it only stand on her face for a split second.

"Would you tell me if I had to do this on my own?" she asked him, referring to raising the child.

He wanted to tell her everything he knew at that moment, regardless of the consequences. Carlisle was always honest with Esme, especially in regards to serious situations.

"You won't have to do this on your own," he told her, keeping his hand on the side of her stomach. "You'll never have to do that."

Images of other members of their family popped into her mind. She knew he could have meant that she would never actually be alone with the company of their family. His words weren't overly convincing regarding the true nature of her question. _Will you be here to do this with me?_

"Try to focus on the baby," he told her softly. "Take a break from the other part of reality, and focus on this part of it. He or she will be here soon."

"I was able to earlier today," Esme told him.

Carlisle took her toward a chair in the corner of the room where they could both sit comfortably and he wrapped her in his arms. "For the next hour," he said, "This is all we'll talk about." He lifted her shirt and ran a hand across her stomach. The slightest bulge had begun to develop in the short time the child existed.

"How?" she asked, putting her hand over his.

"Let's talk names," he said, "For boys and girls."

Esme's leftover tears dropped onto his forearm. "I hadn't even thought a little bit about it," she admitted, letting out a short, emotional chuckle.

Carlisle kissed her cheek, closing his eyes and leaving his lips against her face for an extra second before pulling her just a little closer. He found himself able to smile as Esme was able to get lost, at least for a few minutes at a time, in the happiness of motherhood.


	21. The House Is Getting Smaller

**Chapter 21**

"Mackenzie can't fight," Emmett said, looking at Rosalie. Carlisle and Esme sat across from them, each leaning forward in anxious conversation.

"She should stay with Esme," Nicole said.

"You'll stay too," Jasper told her.

Nicole was about to protest but he shook his head, silencing her before she could speak again.

"The house will be guarded heavily by wolves," Alice said, then looked at her daughter, "Right?"

"Our wolves," she said referring to the Quileutes, "And theirs." She looked at Esme, "Leah will be there."

Esme smiled at the thought of her daughter-in-law and nodded. She slipped her hand into Carlisle's. He looked toward her for a moment before looking back to Emmett.

"You've got to contact Siobhan and Liam," Alice said to Carlisle, "So they can help out in Italy with Caleb and Delilah."

Esme seemed to be holding her breath at the thought of her son being taken away against his will. She thought for a minute about their Irish friends and knew they would do all they could to help him. They were good people, and very determined. She was as confident as Alice that they would keep Caleb and Delilah safe overseas.

"My parents are meeting us in Montana," Maddy said, "I'm sure everyone already knows."

There were nods all around before Alice looked to Carlisle again, "Did you already put in your two weeks at the hospital?"

Esme looked at him and he nodded, then looked to her.

"We should probably go to Montana by the end of the week," Nicole said.

"I've spoken with Jeremy several times this week. He has them all prepared."

"Micah and Helen will be there to stand against them too."

Everyone sat thinking for a moment before they realized that Edward and Bella were speaking down the hall with Caleb, Delilah, Alex and Michael.

"Come on," Edward's voice came, "We should all just have a big discussion about this."

They had all picked up separate conversations and people filtered in as they overheard others talking. Their two large groups merged and a general consensus was made to leave town by Friday to get to Montana. They could then start speaking with the tribesmen there and get a plan in order.

"I've already spoken to Masen," Carlisle said, "But I'll tell him to meet us there the same day."

"I'll call Renesme and Jacob too," Edward told them with a nod.

"Friday..." Esme said with a sigh, looking at the two of them.

Carlisle nodded and took out his phone, bringing Esme by the hand to call their son. Caleb followed closely behind and Esme kept him within close proximity to her, waving for Alex over her shoulder, who stood talking quietly with Michael.

When Carlisle had finished making arrangements with Masen, he stood and looked around at everyone.

"What are we going to do?" Caleb asked.

He sighed, unhappy about his words but determined all the same, "We're going to fight."

...

A tall, thin-built young man with boyish good looks opened the door to Kayla and Jeremy's house when the Cullens arrived. He had a perfectly white smile, similar to Jacob's, and a head of messy, dark hair.

"Carlisle right?" he asked, extending his hand.

Carlisle nodded and returned the gesture.

"I'm Shane," he said, placing a hand on his own chest, "I'm sorry about the mix-up the last time you were here. It was me who attacked you, and I was completely in the wrong."

He smiled at the young man, having long since forgiven him for the misunderstanding, "It's alright."

Shane smiled and nodded, then waved them in, continuing to speak as he offered to take Esme's jacket, then Bella's, and the rest of the girls who piled in. "I, uh, well the only good vampires I ever knew were Micah and Helen. I've seen the ones with the long, black robes, or jackets or whatever. They came here once, and I was told that most of your kind were bad. I jumped the gun when I tried to fight you."

"It's alright," Carlisle told him again, "I understand the reaction."

The boy smiled again and nodded. His happy nature and youthful appearance made Esme think of Seth. The fact that _this_ was the boy who attacked her husband almost made her want to laugh, or smile. She couldn't see him attacking anyone.

Kayla and Jeremy rounded into the room with their young daughter, who shyly looked around at everyone. Esme's immediate thought was, _is she going to be here when the Volturi arrive?_

"Thank you for warning us," Kayla told them, "I don't know what we would have done if this became an ambush."

"When Renesme and Jacob arrive, Renesme is going to fly back to Washington with Lillian," Jeremy said, referring to the younger that was clinging to his leg. He looked down and scooped her up, holding her tightly against him. She immediately put her head down in the opposite direction of everyone, looking halfway towards her mother.

"I'm sorry that this is happening," Carlisle told them, "But we'll do our best to help you in any way that we can. Our friends from Alaska agreed to stand on our side, as well."

"And I know some of the members from the Quileute tribe will be coming up this way, too."

"This could work," Shane said, openly giving his input.

"Shane," Jeremy said, nodding in Carlisle's direction.

"Oh, I apologized," he assured him with another wide smile.

Carlisle grinned and nodded, "Several times," he told Jeremy.

"Shane is my younger brother," he informed him. "He hasn't quite matured yet." The eyes of the two brothers met before they each broke into a smile.

"He'll help Leah and Jacob defend the house," Kayla said, "As will I." She looked at Esme and smiled politely.

Esme smiled back and Shane glanced over at her.

"You're going to have a baby?" he asked, smiling and speaking as if he didn't know the nature of what was to come.

Esme couldn't help but let his carefree nature effect her. She instantly enjoyed his company in the same way she had with Emmett. He was a positive presence and his good mood seemed to radiate into everyone else in the room. "That's right," she told him.

"Well, we've all got you covered," he said, "No one will be getting through these doors."

Esme smiled at him and nodded, squeezing Carlisle's hand as she did. She wished that he could stay inside with her, but she knew that he wouldn't leave their children out on the ground that would become a battlefield. It wasn't something she would ever argue, though if by some chance he ended up making his way inside with her, she knew she wouldn't have it in her to argue with that either.

"Congratulations, by the way," Kayla said, getting off on a positive note.

"Thank you," Esme said at the same time as Carlisle.

"Will you get their things?" Jeremy asked of his brother, who immediately nodded and made his rounds.

The house was a good size, though was beginning to feel smaller from the amount of people who were now inside. When a knock came from the front door, they knew they were in for more company, and didn't at all mind.

Shane greeted the next group of people at the door with the same enthusiasm as he had before. Carlisle and Esme both stood up upon seeing Masen, Leah and Cassandra.

"Welcome vampires and werewolves," Shane joked, "It's a regular haunted house in here." He turned as Cassandra entered and the two of them locked eyes.

Masen and Leah began greeting everyone, beginning with Carlisle and Esme, then making their rounds to the rest of the Cullen family and eventually their hosts. Leah tried talking with Lillian with little success, as the girl continued with her shy behavior.

"Jake and Nessy aren't far behind," Masen told them, "They should be here any minute."

"They stopped for food of course," Leah said with a laugh, "You know Jacob." She made her way back to Esme and gave her another, longer hug. "We'll protect you," she assured her.

Esme closed her eyes and squeezed her hard, "Thank you Leah."

Masen pulled her in next, sharing similar words as he kissed her on the cheek. "I'm not going to stray far from the house," he told her.

She smiled and felt her emotions building up, but she didn't let them out. She put a hand on the side of her son's face, then stared toward the door as she noticed everyone else was.

Shane and Cassandra stood, still in a type of stalemate with their hands locked in one another's as they failed to finish the handshake they had started.

Masen turned to Leah, who looked back at him. The two of them then spun to face Kayla and Jeremy.

A smile spread across Cassandra's face. "It's... great to meet you Shane," she said, looking as if she was shaking hands with her favorite celebrity.

Shane looked just as star struck, and a smile slowly spread across his face. He said exactly what he was thinking, making Emmett chuckle and look down. "You're... my dream girl," he told her, unable to break his stare from her mesmerizing eyes.

Esme smiled to herself and Carlisle saw the look on her face and smiled, too.

"What's going on?" Masen asked, already knowing the answer.

Leah turned back to face him. She hesitated, then let out a short sigh. "I think... I think Shane just imprinted."


	22. A Wink

**Chapter 22**

"I don't even know this kid," Masen said as he sat beside a brook nearby. He looked over at Carlisle and picked up a small stick from the ground.

Carlisle smiled at first and then let out a laugh, "Aside from his initial attack on me, I have to say I've got a good first impression of him."

"But she doesn't even know him," he said with a shrug, "How..." He shook his head for a moment.

"You didn't know Leah," Carlisle said with a shrug.

"Yeah," Masen agreed, "I never stopped to really think about how... weird... imprinting is."

He laughed again, then looked at his son, "Well, there's just another person to be protective over her, that's all."

"I guess..." He tossed the stick lightly to the side. "There are bigger issues at hand, I suppose."

Carlisle nodded and Masen turned to look at him.

"Dad, what's going to happen? Mom seems to think," he sighed, "I don't know exactly what she thinks, but-"

"You just have to be strong son, and do what you can to defend your family. Don't stray too far from the house if you can help it."

"Cassie was suppose to go back with Renesme," he told him, "She's refusing to now because of that kid."

"Have you talked to Leah?"

Masen nodded, "She's against it, but she can't force her to go."

Carlisle folded his hand under his chin and leaned forward where he sat.

"When are they coming?"

"Soon," Carlisle said, "Nicole is planning to map it all out for us tonight." His eyes drifted toward the sky that was beginning to get darker as they sat.

"Days are longer now," Masen said, "No more winter."

He smiled, "How's it been in Forks?"

"Rainy," he told him with a laugh.

Carlisle chuckled, "That sounds about right."

"And Caleb's doing okay?" Masen asked him, "You know, now that he's in love and all."

He smiled and nodded, "He's better now, yeah."

"Getting serious?"

"Well, they're attached at the hip," Carlisle told him, "You know how that goes."

Masen nodded back.

The two of them sat together in silence listening to the sound of the water as it ran through the woods just a few feet in front of them. Stars began to decorate the sky as the lighter blue color began to darken with the passing time.

"Let's get back," Carlisle said finally, looking over at his son, who appeared to have no intention of moving.

Masen sat still for a moment, then looked as his father and took his outstretched hand as he pulled him to his feet. "This isn't going to end well is it?" he asked, trying to read his initial facial reactions. "Everyone's been saying that."

"Who's everyone?" Carlisle asked, not wanting his son to read into the predictions.

He shrugged, "Just... everyone."

"We'll all talk tonight," he told him again, "Nicole has the details, and they can change all the time."

"What has Alice seen? Anything?"

Carlisle hesitated, then shrugged. "It's the same notion. Things change."

Masen looked at his father, nearly forcing him to maintain eye contact with him. The two of them shared a quick hug. When Carlisle went to pull back, Masen kept him close. "Don't do anything that's going to..." He shook his head and Carlisle put his hand on the back of his head as his son hugged him harder.

"We'll be alright," he assured him.

"Will we?" Masen asked, finally pulling away so they were eye to eye.

Carlisle gave him a half-smirk, then winked and patted him on the back and began walking back through the woods toward the house.

Masen stood in place for a second, unsure of what his gesture meant, if it meant anything at all.

Carlisle turned around halfway, waiting for him to follow. Masen began to make his way with him. Neither of them said much more on the walk back, where people were already gathering in the back yard and on the deck that was attached to the house. Two separate fires were going, one close to the woods line, and the other closer to the house in the middle of the deck.

A few other members of the tribe had arrived, and Masen and Carlisle introduced themselves, as they realized that everyone else had already crossed that bridge. Cassandra sat close to Shane, who seemed overly enamored with her. He seemed hesitant to put his arm around the back of her chair, but kept the lower half of his leg against hers.

Esme sat between Caleb and Alex and talked with Edward, who sat directly across from where she sat by the fire on the deck. Bella sat next to him, giving a closed-mouth smile to Carlisle as he sat down next to Michael, on the opposite side of his daughter.

Alex stood up, "Sit next to Mom."

"No, it's alright," Carlisle said, waving his hand.

Alex didn't argue, she pulled him toward her and more or less pushed him down in the seat, before taking the one he was sitting in on the other side of Michael.

Edward snickered and looked at Bella, who would have laughed too if she hadn't gotten a head's up of what was going to happen. She smiled once and put her head on his shoulder.

Renesme walked over where they sat and put a hand on each of their shoulders. She was chewing the final bite of a hot dog, then kissed Edward on the cheek. "When are you going back with Lillian?" he asked her.

"Tomorrow," she told him, "So I get to stay here tonight."

Bella turned and hugged her once hard. "I'm glad."

"Me too," she said, "I miss being able to see you guys whenever I want."

Carlisle looked across at them, feeling Esme slide her hand into his. He looked at her and sighed, then spoke quietly against her ear, "When this is through, maybe Forks should be the permanent place to live."

She looked at him, knowing he had told the hospital that he was moving out of town abruptly because of an extremely ill relative that he had to care for. They were overly sympathetic and sad to see him go, developing a great liking for him both personally and professionally despite his short time working there.

"Well, you are through working at the hospital," she said, "Why did you decided to stop working there?"

"I just think Forks is home for everyone," he said, continuing to talk quietly. "I'm sure they'll all be happy about it."

Esme nodded and looked into his eyes, searching for more questions to ask him.

Carlisle leaned in and kissed her once and she sighed as he broke it.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her quickly again.

"I love you too."

"Do you need me to hunt for you?" he asked her.

Esme shook her head, "I think I'm still okay to do it." She looked down at the visible bump on her stomach, "Maybe by the end of next week."

Carlisle's eyes closed reactively and he nodded without making eye contact with her. He felt guilt building up in the pit of his stomach, knowing there was a good possibility that he wouldn't be able to be with her to take care of her, and hunt for her.

Esme sensed the dismay in his posture, but before she could say anything, Carlisle stood up, reluctantly letting go of her hand. He finally managed to look her in the eye. "I'll be right back," he said, kissing her once, then looked at Edward and waved him in his direction.

Edward sensed the urgency and followed Carlisle into the house, then out the front door. He tried to distance the two of them as much as he could without seeming overly suspicious.

"Carlisle," Edward said, "I'm having some trouble reading you. What's going on?"

Carlisle stopped and looked down, then turned to him. "I need you to do something for me, Edward," he told him, speaking just above the tone of a whisper, "When Esme needs help hunting because she can't anymore, I need you to do that for me. You and Emmett and anyone else."

He shook his head, "Sure, but you're going to be around to do that Carlisle."

"If I'm not, promise me you won't leave her alone."

"I'd never... none of us would, but-"

"Thank you," Carlisle told him with a nod, looking back toward the house.

Edward stared at him for a moment, not knowing what to say.

Nicole's voice came from the back yard, "Is everybody ready to sit down?" she called out.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment before Carlisle spoke. "Forgive me," he said quietly, then headed back to the yard, leaving Edward speechless and confused.

Carlisle knew that Edward couldn't read the part of his mind that held the plan that he and Alice had construed in order to save the lives of their family members. For that, he knew that Alex's gift was working, and no matter how difficult it would be to carry out, it was something that absolutely needed to be done.


	23. Suffocating

**Chapter 23**

"What was that about?" Masen asked, approaching Edward as he slowly made his way back to where everyone else was now up on the deck.

They both looked over as Carlisle took his place next to Esme again. Her face was full of questions and they couldn't tell exactly what she was asking him amongst all the other chatter.

"I don't know," Edward told him, shaking his head. He continued to stare in the direction of the porch.

"We were just talking out in the woods," Masen said, "And when I asked him if we'd all be alright he just winked at me. What does that mean?"

Nicole snuck in between them, coming up from behind out of nowhere, "It means he knows something you don't," she explained, then gave Masen a wink that both he and Edward could see as she turned and walked toward where everyone else sat.

Masen glanced over at Edward, even more confused, then followed him up onto the deck. The two of them sat next to their respective wives and daughters.

Nicole smiled, despite how serious the situation was. She stood in front of everyone without even the slightest hint of "stage fright" and began to speak of what the Volturi would most likely be doing when they arrived.

Everyone listened intently, etching in their brains every word that Nicole spoke. Alice sat in Jasper's lap near the front of the rows of people and smiled as if her daughter was giving a speech at graduation, or for receiving some elegant award. She was so grown up and seemingly fearless, a true combination of Alice and Jasper.

"All in all," she said, "We just have to stand our ground. None of us want this, but we have to stay strong for the people we love."

"Right on," Emmett said sincerely, raising his fist in the air. "You're the best Nicky."

"Coolest uncle around Emmett," she said back, pointing at him.

He laughed, and Rosalie smiled, clinging to his side and holding her daughter's hand on the other. "Do you want to go back to Forks with Nessy?" she whispered.

"No," Mackenzie whispered back. "I want to stay."

Emmett looked at her and she looked back.

"I want to stay inside with Esme," she said. "Please, don't make me leave."

Emmett and Rosalie looked at each other and nodded.

"Okay," Rosalie whispered, running a hand through her hair.

Mackenzie sighed and looked at William, who sat next to her. He smirked, purposely trying to seem carefree for his sister and hadn't let go of Maddy's hand since arriving in Montana.

Maddy suddenly looked up and stood abruptly, causing William to do the same. A smile spread across her face, "They're here," she said, "My parents." She tugged on William's hand and the two of them darted around the side of the house to greet the Denali coven.

Emmett and Rosalie stood up, as well as Mackenzie. They followed where the two of them wandered off to.

Carlisle looked at Esme, "Do you want to go say hello?"

She nodded and made eye contact with Edward. He knew she was intending to speak with him later the second Carlisle was preoccupied talking to someone else. He could see it in her thoughts, and could also see that she was very close to the point of breaking. He didn't want that for Esme. He wanted her to feel empowered and secure. It was for that reason that he would stretch the truth when she did approach him.

Kayla and Jeremy stood up as Carlisle and Esme did.

"They're our friends from Alaska," he told them, "Madison's parents and three others who will be of great help."

"Great," Kayla said with a smile, "You all don't have to do this, you know."

"Yes we do," Esme said with a nod.

The pair followed them out to the front lawn, quickly attempting to get to know the five other vampires that would be aiding them in the near future.

"Carlisle," Eleazar said, holding a hand out in front of him.

"How are you?" he asked with a smile, giving his old friend a handshake and a hug.

"Could be better," he said, half-kidding, with a grin.

"I understand the feeling."

Esme and Carmen exchanged hello's, before they engaged in some small talk and eventually got into the in's and out's of the plan Nicole had just spoke of.

"Thanks for getting us up to speed," Garrett told him, "I feel like my life will be a never-ending series of battles." He looked at Kate and smiled, who shook her head with a grin.

"Ready for this one Garrett?" Emmett asked with a grin.

"You betcha," he said confidently, smirking in his direction.

Rosalie and Kate weren't as amused, but smiled none-the-less, appreciating the non-heavy nature of their attitudes.

"Please come in," Kayla finally said to them, "Or come to the backyard, I should say." She snickered, making Carmen do the same and everyone smiled at one another.

"I may go hunt," Emmett told Rosalie, "And I'll top off just before this thing happens."

She nodded and was about to head toward the back yard, not feeling overly thirsty, but decided to join him. "I'll come with you."

He smiled, seeming to be hoping that was what she would say. They looked at their children, who waved them off.

William and Madison took Mackenzie with them toward the back and Carlisle began to follow, but Esme pulled him back.

"Come with me," she told him, "Just for a few minutes."

Carlisle nodded without question and let Esme lead him away from the house. The two of them walked to the same area he had been sitting in with Masen earlier by the water.

"Masen and Leah are going to be just outside the house," she told him.

He nodded.

"And Caleb and Delilah are going to be taken away." Esme sighed at the thought again, still unable to make peace with the thought.

"Tell Alex and Michael to stay inside and then you can stay out there with Masen," she said, "Or inside... both of you... all of you." Esme knew that her words weren't making a whole lot of sense. They sounded better planned in her mind, but she couldn't get them to come out right. She knew that everyone there couldn't stay inside the house while the Volturi wreaked havoc just outside the door.

"Esme," he said, "I'll do whatever I can to make sure we're all safe. Masen is strong. He'll be able to do hold his own. He has experience."

"Alex doesn't."

"I've already told her to stay inside with you. She agreed to."

"What about you?" she asked.

"We have to defend this family, and the wolves," he told her, "You've got to believe me that things are mapped out in our favor."

"At what cost?" she asked him, breaking down for the first time since being Montana. "I know, Carlisle," she said, "Even if you don't tell me, I still know."

He closed his eyes and a tear dropped from each of them as he pulled her against his body. Esme immediately began to sob, and suddenly didn't want to go back to the mass group of people at the house. She felt suffocated there and didn't want to release her emotions in front of everybody.

Carlisle's tears ran down his face and dropped into Esme's hair, where her face was against in chest. Both of them were trying overly hard to be what they had been telling everyone else to be: hard on the surface, ready to fight, determined and "out for blood" so to speak...

Esme didn't feel any of those things. She didn't want to. She wanted to be cuddled up on the couch under a blanket with Carlisle while they watched a terrible romantic comedy together. She wanted Emmett to lend her his big sweatshirts and make fun of her growing belly. She wanted Rosalie and Alice to be fighting over baby names, and Alex to be gushing about being a big sister yet again. None of those things were going to happen.

Carlisle inhaled and exhaled deeply, letting his chest rise and fall against Esme's cheek. Despite knowing that his actions would provide the best possible outcome for their family, the sight of Esme still hurt him and made him feel the terrible guilt he knew wouldn't go away. He knew she needed him to be there with her; emotionally and physically. Emotionally she needed his support, and physically she needed him to hunt and take care of her. The never ending spree of thoughts made him cry a little harder. He didn't fight the tears as he had tried so hard to back at their house in Minnesota.

Esme didn't know how long she'd been crying for, and recognized that Carlisle had been to. Her hands were practically pried onto his back and she had to consciously force herself to let go of him. "I don't want to lose you, Carlisle," she told him.

Carlisle knew that his decisions were already causing her so much pain. He kept toying with the fantasy-type of thought of just taking her and leaving; running to a place where she would be safe and he wouldn't have to leave her.

He looked down at her through teary eyes and leaned himself up against a tree, before scaling down it with his back and finding a seat on the ground with Esme in his lap.

"Whatever happens," he told her, "Just keep that blind faith I was telling you about."

Esme turned around to face him, her saddened and emotional expression a mirror of his. She nodded and felt him shake and shiver as he carefully touched his lips against hers.

"Forgive me, Esme," he whispered to her, grazing his lips against hers as he spoke. It was the same phrase he'd spoken to Edward.

Esme opened her eyes, about to ask him what he meant, but saw his were closed, as tears continued to streak from beneath his eye lashes while his lips made their way back against hers. She stopped talking, fearful that this would be one of the few times left in her existence to feel what it felt like to kiss him.


	24. The Last Arrivals

**Chapter 24**

Kayla had a difficult time parting with her daughter, who fought and clawed to stay in her mother's arms while Jeremy had to unwillingly pry her tiny hands away. The two of them were an emotional wreck as their daughter left with Renesme on the trip back to Forks. Her cries could be heard until the car was out of sight, and Kayla took some alone time in her room to deal with the emotions on her own.

Emmett looked out the window, rocking in place without realizing he had been doing it for several minutes. Rosalie made her way to his side and gently placed her hand on his arm. She leaned up and kissed him one time and he put his arm around her as they continued to stand glancing out onto the beautiful landscape outside.

Alice looked at the two of them, knowing that because of her and Nicole's ability to see ahead, they wouldn't have to go through the suffering that could have been a real possibility. Emmett and Rosalie would be fine.

"What if no one was here to fight them?" Edward asked, approaching Alice. He caught her off guard as she got lost in her thoughts of Emmett and Rosalie, particularly the unpleasant vision that occurred in her mind only once of Rosalie taking vengeance for Emmett's death and dying in the process.

She shook her head, knowing that the "fool proof" plan she had conducted with Carlisle was the only way. "Divide and conquer," Alice told him, "That would play into their strengths, and they won't let up until someone in our family is dead."

"What about like the last time?" Edward asked, "Aro backed down when you showed him what was to come."

"It's Nicole who holds the vision," she contested, "And he won't, for any reason, even consider it. He wants no reason to back down, even if it means a loss on their side."

"And he's staying out of the action." He shook his head, visibly angry.

"Edward," Alice said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "You have to trust me that this will work out in the end."

"How?" he asked, "What's Carlisle so bent out of shape for? What's going to happen to him?"

"You have to trust me," she said with a nod.

"If you don't have a vision-"

"Trust me," Alice said again, not allowing him to finish, "You have to." She looked across the room where Jasper had just entered and excused herself from Edward's company to spend her time with him.

Edward could tell that despite Alice's attempts to remain cheery, Jasper saw right through it, or rather felt right through it. He could sense the sadness that Alice tried so desperately to hide.

Bella approached Edward, sensing his sadness that had deepened since their daughter had left earlier that morning. She put her forehead against his and the two of them shared a brief moment of intimate kisses before she pulled him close. She knew how much it would hurt him, too, upon the conclusion of the confrontation.

He rubbed her back and closed his eyes, taking in her scent. It soothed him temporarily, though not quite like it normally could.

"Bella," he said quietly. "What's going to happen?"

She continued to hold him closely, not attempting to pull back. "We're going to do what we always do."

"What's that?" he asked when she didn't elaborate.

"We're going to have to fight to stand up for what's right."

"That sucks," Edward said sharply, drawing a somber laugh from Bella. It was rare that he talked in such a modern fashion, but she knew at that moment there was no other way to accurately describe the situation in so few words.

"Yeah," she said, "It does." Her eyes drifted to the living room where Esme sat closely with her three children. Cassie and Shane sat talking on the ground just in front of her and Carlisle stood with his hands rested on the couch just behind where she sat. Every now and then he'd place his hand lightly on her shoulder, or run a hand through her hair.

"I'm glad Renesme's far away," Edward said, "She was a mess having to leave Jacob."

"He's staying by the house, too, right?" Bella asked, not wanting him to be out on the open field without his own pack to defend him.

Edward nodded and Bella felt relieved.

"Talking about me?" Jacob asked, jumping into their conversation.

The two of the broke apart and Bella smiled, welcoming the interruption of their heavy conversation.

"Yeah," Bella said with a laugh, nudging him.

"All good things I'm guessing," he said.

Edward managed a half-smile, but Jacob let his fade, acknowledging the serious nature of the situation.

Shane stood up from the ground and headed toward the door, causing everyone looking in his direction. "Jer..." he called to his brother.

The door to Jeremy and Kayla's room opened as he made his way into the living room, closing the door behind him as he came. "Micah and Helen?" he asked.

"Yeah." Shane looked through the window in the center of the door and saw the two of them making their way toward the front door in the distance.

Everyone else looked around at one another, having not seen the couple since they'd completely gone off the grid.

Shane swung the front door open and waited there with Jeremy. "How's Kayla?" he asked.

Jeremy glanced over at him, "She's alright."

He nodded and looked back out onto the yard, then gave a friendly wave and opened the storm door. "How are you?" he asked.

The two of them tried to be open and happy, but couldn't find it in them to do so. Everyone inside completely understood the feeling.

"Hi Shane," Helen said, giving him a hug first and then Jeremy.

Micah nodded politely and shook their hands. "Thank you for having us." His eyes roamed the immediate room where everyone sat. The Cullens all gave them a sincere welcome, feeling badly that they had more or less been on the run for so long. It was apparent that the reservation had provided them a source of refuge up until the more recent days.

"Alice," Helen said, "Thank you for the warning about Demetri."

"Nicole saw him track you here," she said, putting an arm around her daughter.

Helen smiled, "Thank you."

"It's what we do," she said, "We help each other."

Alice looked over at Carlisle, who turned to her upon feeling her eyes on him. They shared an understanding that the arrival of Micah and Helen meant that the following day would be when the Volturi would arrive.


	25. About That Time

**Chapter 25**

Caleb and Delilah had been getting more antsy as the following day began to trickle away as quickly as the night before had. Neither of them had experience doing what they were about to, and Carlisle tried to remain positive in the way he approached his talks with both of them.

"Caius won't let either of you get hurt," Nicole told them.

"He's already made it a point to keep you out of the action as much as possible," Alice said, "I saw him planning while they were still in Italy."

"Where are they now?" Esme asked her.

Her eyes shifted, "Canada... I think."

She sighed and nodded, knowing they were just under the border.

"Stay inside no matter what," Carlisle said, looking at Esme.

"As long as none of you are in danger," she said, "If I can do something to prevent any of you from getting hurt I can't make any promises."

"We'll be fine Mom," Masen said, "You have to stay inside. We're going to have the house surrounded."

"If you-"

"I'll be fine," he reassured her, then looked to Leah, "I have my warrior wife out there looking out for me." He smiled, and Leah grinned at him from where she sat.

"I feel like you're all in football hurdle," Emmett said, making his way toward where everyone stood together. He smiled and hugged Esme, then kissed her on the cheek.

Esme smiled and hugged him back.

"I'm going to have to start giving you my hoodies," he told her, playing with the hood of the sweatshirt he was currently wearing.

She grinned, having been fantasizing about that for some time for whatever reason. The thought briefly made her feel calm and at ease, but disappointment washed over her when reality came back like a slap in the face.

"It's about that time," Nicole said with a sigh. She looked at her father who had been standing solemnly and silently in between her and Alice.

Esme looked at Carlisle, sending feelings of helplessness in his direction with her eyes.

Masen picked up on her look, "Mom," he said, "We got this."

"Ready?" Nicole asked, looking directly at Emmett.

He nodded at her and went to rejoin Rosalie and their children, who were out back with the Denali clan.

Esme sighed and pulled in Caleb first for a long hug. "Be safe Caleb."

"I will," he told her, unable to hide the worry that echoed in his voice.

Esme sighed again, taking a long time to let him go, then looked him in the eyes and took his cherubic face in her hands. She placed a single kiss on his cheek, then hugged Delilah for just as long.

Alex and Michael seemed to be almost waiting in line as she parted with them on the same terms, with similar words and lots of "I love you's".

Masen looked at his mother and couldn't help but feel everything she was feeling. There was no one who was more deserving of happiness than her, and it hurt him deeply to see her in such pain during a time that was meant to be so uplifting and special.

"We're all going home together after this," he told her, "To Forks."

Esme nodded, thinking that sounded like a perfect plan. "Can't wait," she said lightly.

Masen smiled and stood for a long while hugging her before Jacob's whistle caught his attention from outside.

Leah had every intention of staying inside with Esme, Cassandra and Mackenzie for as long as possible, and wanted to make sure she was as comfortable as possible. She made her way to Masen to talk quietly for a few more minutes while Esme had a moment with Carlisle.

"So, this is it..." she said, hoping he could give her some information before he left; the information she was dying to know that he kept to himself.

Carlisle walked her toward the couch and sat with her for a moment, finding a heavy blanket and tossing it over her.

"This was the same blanket you were wrapped in when you fell into the lake," she told him, "When you were laying right over there." She pointed across the room, remembering the image of him sleeping peacefully despite the serious nature of what had happened to him that day.

He smiled at her partway and kissed her, pulling the blanket around her tighter at the same time. "I'll come back for you," he told her, "If you remember anything I've ever said, remember that."

Esme nodded, "Okay." She was surprised at how well she was holding it together. She hadn't cried at all since their time together in the woods two days before.

"I love you," he told her, keeping his face an inch or so away from hers.

"I love you more," she whispered, touching his face gently.

Carlisle closed his eyes as her lips touched his again. He never wanted the moment to end, but he knew that was impossible.

Esme extended their embrace, keeping him close to her for as long as possible before she knew he had to make his way out with the rest of the family. "I'll remember," she told him, referring to the statement he had just made.

"Don't forget that," he said again, "I love you."

"I love you too Carlisle."

They took a minute to completely part, but he eventually made his way toward the back door where Masen and Leah stood. He looked at both of them. "Be safe. Stay in close proximity of each other. I'll try to do the same."

"Okay," they said at the same time.

The three of them looked out onto the deck where Alex and Caleb stood talking quietly together with Michael and Delilah nearby.

"Thank you," Carlisle told them, "For making the wish that you did. I haven't really thanked you for it, but it's the biggest blessing we could ever ask for." He glanced out toward Caleb again.

Leah looked at Masen before they both glanced over at Carlisle.

"I love you, Dad," he said, hugging him hard.

He patted his son's back once, "I love you too. Take care of your mother."

Leah looked over her shoulder, "I'm going to go in there," she said, giving Carlisle a hug before she went.

Masen gave her a kiss, then opened the set of French doors that went led outside. Carlisle allowed him out first, then followed and stared out to where everyone was more or less waiting to distance themselves from the house.

Mackenzie made her way inside upon a tearful departure from her parents and brother, shutting the double glass doors behind her as she did.

"It's time," Nicole said, standing almost directly in the center of everyone.

Shane paraded from the house where Mackenzie had just entered and once he got off the deck he phased on the run and began to snarl, now looking in the direction of Carlisel and Masen.

"Ready?" Masen asked his father.

Carlisle closed his eyes and nodded, then hurried toward the group, looking over his shoulder at Kayla and Jeremy's house as he did. Before he knew it, the single light from the back window was the only thing that could be seen from what was now Esme's place of safety and security. The guilt of not being by her side hit him harder than he could even imagine. He prayed silently that the visions of Alice and Nicole wouldn't change.


	26. First Casualties

**Chapter 26**

A fire had already been started, giving the open land a hellish appearance, though the snowy, almost heavenly mountaintops directly behind the engulfment stood elegantly in great contrast. Directly in front of the layers of flames were the Volturi, led by Caius rather than Aro. He stood side by side with Marcus, who looked even more depressed than ever. It was plain to see from his body language that he hadn't conducted the idea of attacking.

Edward could read in his thoughts that he was both frightened and elated at the thought of death's real possibility.

"Caius," Carlisle spoke, shaking his head, "It doesn't have to be this way."

He didn't answer, marching in a strait, military-like fashion with his chin raised. Jane looked ready to wreak havoc next to him with eyes more crimson than rubies. She pinpointed Micah and Helen and Edward could see that she wanted to use her gift, but was well aware that Bella had already activated her own.

"You should just hand them over," Jane spoke evenly.

"You know we can't do that," Carlisle told her.

"Stop pretending that's your only motivation for coming," Edward said, "Alice saw that you would attack us regardless of where we were."

Kayla stood on all fours in between Jeremy and Shane. Their jaws all began snapping at once, sending a similar reaction from Jacob. From the beyond the trees, seemingly from way back in the mountaintops, other howls echoed through darkening sky as the sun made its way down past the horizon.

"You can still walk away," Edward called out to them again, sensing most of the Volturi had been taken off-guard by the amount of different howls that could be heard in the distance.

"Only some of us will be walking away Edward," Caius claimed with a ring of surety in his voice.

"It doesn't have to this way," Carlisle repeated.

The loudest noise in the area was the sound of burning, and things snapping and popping under the fire's scalding temperature. The Volturi continued to walk with no intention of slowing down or talking. Their pace quickened and Caius' fists balled up at his sides. Just before they were certain he would be the first to strike, or call upon others to do the same, there was a break in the trees beside where everyone stood.

A massive, gray wolf emerged from woods and charged at the closest vampires in its path. Another followed just behind with its teeth and claws barred and ready to attack.

Caleb's mouth dropped open and he positioned Delilah behind him. He looked awe-struck and terrified, almost too afraid to move from the place he stood.

Carlisle tried springing him back to life and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, "Caleb, go back to the house," he said instinctively, seeing his son wasn't at all ready for what was happening.

His mouth still hung open and he looked at his father as the Volturi members approached. Carlisle was nearly pushing him in the opposite direction. "Go Caleb," he said again in a more serious manner.

"Look out!" Delilah called from behind him as one of the henchmen in a hood lunged for Carlisle.

He managed to get out of the way, but began to grapple with the opposing vampire on the ground, all the while still screaming and demanding for his son to leave.

Caleb felt an anger finally begin to brew inside of him, and couldn't let his father fight the immortal on his own. He ripped the man off of him, only to be met by Emmett, who cleanly swiped the man's head off cleanly.

"Get them," Caius said from several yards away. His voice was so edgy and quiet that he was almost not heard.

Wolves took down several other members of the guard who began to head in Caleb's direction before Carlisle stepped in to fight them off.

"Bring their bodies to the fire!" Jasper called out. He glanced over at Shane, who was struggling with two members of the Volturi.

Emmett scooped up what he could and began to run full speed toward the flames as if he was on a football field looking for the end zone. Felix got wind of his attempt and began to stalk after him.

Jasper and Rosalie both managed to take him to the ground, though Demetri wasn't far behind.

Carlisle unwillingly, but aggressively tore away at the limbs of random Volturi members. Edward stayed close by, fighting next to him with Bella to his right. She tried as best as she could to keep Jane's gift dormant, but it wasn't easy as others began to attack. A wolf similar to Jacob's color writhed in pain on the ground, and Jeremy stood by desperately to protect it as Jane smiled over fifty yards away from where they stood.

He barked and clawed, unable to stop the pain, but also not allowing others to get to him. She finally released the wolf when she'd found an open opportunity to cause pain to Micah. He was stopping in his tracks, falling limply to the ground.

Felix and Demetri had managed their way out of the grasps of Rosalie and Jasper, and were all now preoccupied with other people.

Caius stood still in the middle of the chaos while others stood protectively around he and Marcus.

"Felix," he said lightly, nodding his head in the direction of Micah, who was on the ground.

The Volturi protector strided in Micah's direction, already knowing how easy the job would be. He was on him in a second and dragged him into the circle where Caius stood by the hair. Jane followed, failing to relieve the painful inflictions from his body and stopped as she was side by side with her two leaders.

Caius smiled and shook his head, "Quite pathetic," he said, looking down, then eyed Jane. "Would you like to do the honors?"

A wave of flames and smoke whisked into the air and everyone but Jane turned to see Emmett burning all that he could. No one cared much at that moment.

Carlisle struggled nearby with one of the guards who was surrounding Caius. "Don't!" he called out to them.

Jane looked up for a moment, then back to her victim. Caius placed a hand on his shoulder, which from far away appeared almost gently, though the pressure was so immense that it took Micah's arm off cleanly.

He wailed out in pain, drawing a look from Helen across the field. "Micah!" she shrieked, seeing his limb separate from his body.

Jane didn't look back, or care. She placed her hands on either side of his head as he continued his final moments in a pain that no one could accurately describe. It was then that she ripped with over emphasis upward and his body separated from his head, that Jane now held in her hands.

She looked coldly into the eyes of the decapitated man and shook her head arrogantly, "You've messed with the wrong coven."

Carlisle stopped fighting for half-a-second, and felt a string of defeat in his chest, particularly when Helen's cries of anguish filled the air. She screamed and charged where they stood, appearing to not care what would happen at that moment.

"Helen, no!" Carlisle said, attempting to intervene.

Jane turned to him and used her gift, sending Carlisle to his knees in an instant. He fell to the ground, able to see Helen's demise as she was easily scooped up by Caius while Felix reached for the torch that Marcus had been holding, appearing as though he had no intention of using it.

Helen's screams died out as her fate matched the one of her mate, and their bodies were burned by Felix just a few feet in front of where Carlisle laid on the ground in the pain. His eyes shifted back to Jane, who stared at him furiously. Her gaze was intensely upon him, though she then gave him an arrogant, calm smirk without letting up. The eyes of Caius, Marcus and Felix were all upon him.


	27. Inner Warrior

**Chapter 27**

Jacob lunged at Jane, only to be taken down by Felix, who was then attacked a second time by Rosalie. Edward helped Carlisle from the ground and the two of them quickly got into it, throwing both Caius and Marcus out of the mix.

"Bella!" Edward called, looking around, thankfully spotting his wife who was using her shield, surrounded by two massive wolves for protection.

Jacob snarled and Rosalie hissed as the two of them closed in on Jane.

Carlisle stood face to face with Caius, about to square off and he recognized he was standing in the ash that was once the two people they had been defending.

"They were just scapegoats," Caius told him coldly, "For Jane it was more personal. To Aro, they were nothing; just an excuse to finally destroy your family."

"We've known each other for a long time Caius."

"Which makes this ordeal just slightly more difficult for Aro. Me, however, if I could sleep I wouldn't lose any over this."

"Carlisle!" Alice called.

He looked over and Caius smirked as she was hit head on by Demetri.

Bella turned her attention to Alice, and Carlisle began to run in their direction, leaving Caius to where he stood as he hadn't quite gotten his hands dirty despite the easy kill of Micah with Jane's help.

Alice got back to her feet as Bella was tangled with her attacker. Edward immediately got wind of their scuffle and joined in, taking on Demetri himself.

"Carlisle, we have to kill him," Alice told him urgently.

"Who?" he asked.

"Demetri," she said, "We have to or he's going to go after Esme."

The two of them shared a look of understanding.

"Edward!" Bella screamed as he dropped to the ground as quickly as Carlisle had before, releasing Demetri in the process. Bella immediately activated her shield and brought him back to life.

Carlisle and Alice ran after him, passing by Edward and Bella as they did.

"He's going toward the house!" Edward called after the, having read Demetri's mind.

Panic and urgency washed through their bodies, but they knew they weren't far behind.

"Jacob!" Bella shouted.

"Stay here," Edward said, "Use your shield on both of us." He glanced over, horrified to see Jacob in the grasp of a random Volturi soldier.

Bella watched, praying he would get there in time and extended her shield without any extra protection around her. One of the wolves passed by, nearly knocking her to the ground but she kept her footing and watched as Edward attempted to save Jacob.

...

Esme stood by the back window with Leah. Mackenzie and Cassandra sat down at the kitchen table within an arm's reach. They tried to see what was going on, and Masen had checked in once but hadn't been back in awhile.

Leah took a deep breath and glanced at Esme, "I have to go outside," she said, "Someone's approaching. Masen's there by himself."

Esme nodded, "Go. Go."

Leah didn't hesitate, she flung open the back door and in a leap over the railing on the deck she had transformed.

"Mom!" Cassandra called, standing up abruptly, but could no longer see the massive wolf she had turned into by the time she got to the window.

Esme put an arm around each of the girls and the three of them waited, hoping nothing bad would come their way. They all prayed for the safety of their loved ones out in the woods and in the fields.

Leah barked as she approached Masen, relieved to see him, though he looked worried.

"Demetri's coming in hot," he said, "I think my dad is just behind him and Alice."

The two of them waited, sensing the presence of others that they weren't familiar with. They knew they must have been from the Volturi side.

"He's almost here," Masen said, eying their surroundings.

Leah crouched and got ready, as Demetri emerged at full speed, spinning his way out of Masen's lunging hands.

A smile spread on his face as he was now eye to eye with Leah. She growled and lunged, though he managed to slink his way above her, wrapping his arms around her torso.

"Leah!" Masen called in a shrill, desperate way.

Demetri made a quick moment of eye contact with him before a sickening cracking sound filled the air and Leah whimpered in pain. He released her as quickly as he'd gotten his arms around her and continued on toward the house.

Carlisle and Alice arrived a moment later and Masen had crouched above his now human wife with pain in his eyes. "Leah," he placed a hand around the curve of her face, then looked at his father, who didn't know whether or stop or keep going. "Dad he's heading for the house."

Alice pulled Carlisle's arm, knowing Leah would be alright.

"You're going to be alright," Masen spoke gently, trying to smile at her, despite the painful look on her face. He kept his healing hands on her face first, then to her shoulders and down to her hips and legs, healing all of the broken bones at once.

Leah laid, gasping for air, appearing dazed and confused, then reached up to touch his face. She closed her eyes and laid still for a moment before the two of them looked up to see their daughter running in their direction.

"Go back inside!" Masen called, hunched over Leah.

She continued to run toward them, holding a blanket for her mother to be wrapped in, though both of them could see she had bigger concerns from the look on her face.

"Behind you!" she shouted, "Dad!"

Leah looked over his shoulder with wide eyes and Masen looked back and prepared to be taken out by a hooded goon before Cassandra leapt into the air, drawing awestruck reactions from both of her parents as she phased in mid air just above Masen's head.

She growled and pinned the attacker down, laying her massive paws on his chest before tearing and ripping at his throat until his head rolled a significant distance away from his body.

"Cass..." Masen's voice trailed off and his mouth hung open, eyes wider than Leah's.

Cassandra stood spouting breaths of steamy air from her nostrils. Her teeth were still out and barred and she stared at her parents.

"She phased," Leah said in shock.

Shane rounded into the area, his smoky coat matching hers. He nudged her face with his own and the two of them stood together as a pair. Cassandra's eyes softened, as she began to process the confusion that went along with what had just happened. She didn't know if it was the imprinting that caused her transformation, or if the fear of losing her mother had brought out the inner warrior inside of her, but she knew that there was no better time for something so significant to happen.


	28. Remnants In Ash

**Chapter 28**

Carlisle could see Demetri's coattails up ahead of him, as he and Alice tracked him down. He began to feel a will inside of him building, and he almost felt angrier than he'd ever been in his life. What happened next was a bit of a blur, and Carlisle felt as if he was experiencing a type of black out.

A growl began in his chest and became more prominent in his throat and the sound of material being ripped, or shredded filled his eardrums. His hands grasped the back of Demetri's cloak, though his speed in the opposite direction caused it to tear. Carlisle felt his anger rise and he gripped Demetri's shoulders, roughly tossing him to the ground.

Alice began fighting off two men just behind where they fought, and Carlisle kept his hands pressed firmly on Demetri's neck, though he managed to free himself and the two of them wrestled and fought until the feel of a free fall separated them and snapped Carlisle back to reality.

He looked upward, seeing the edge of the cliff where he and Shane had paraded down a few weeks earlier, though the two of them were farther down at a much steeper incline.

Demetri's body slammed hard into a tall pine tree, shattering the trunk into wooden shrapnel that splintered in thousands of pieces around him. Carlisle recognized the feeling of impact as he crashed through a small family of trees right next to him and didn't get his barring until the two of them were finally on flatter ground at the base of the cliff.

Thick, dark smoke decorated the area around them, as the fires from above had spread into the trees. In the immediate distance, the two of them glanced at the flickering flames, as pieces of rock and boulders still tumbled down the cliff in wake of their violent falls.

Demetri was the first to reignite their hand to hand combat, and Carlisle felt only hardness in his heart at that moment. He pushed all other feelings out of his mind and body, and focused on Demetri, seeing him only as an object that was attempting to hurt his wife.

With a loud clash, light two bulls charging at one another, Carlisle plunged his head and shoulders into Demetri's chest, who attempted the same type of hit on Carlisle.

Alice's struggles with the other Volturi members could be heard somewhere in the distance as the fire continued to spread like a cancer around them.

"Where are they?" Masen shouted from up above. His echoed voice sounded far away, and Carlisle prayed that he wouldn't make his way down into the smoky, fiery gorge where the fight between he and Demetri would end in one of two ways. One thing was for certain, at least one of them would not be emerging to the top of the hillside.

...

Emmett and Felix were locked in a stalemate, each one with his arms around the other's neck. Caius looked on, about to intervene, when Felix cried out in angry agony as Emmett popped his arm off with a downward, crushing movement.

Marcus looked at his brother, "We must go now before they outnumber us."

Caius scowled at him and marched toward where Felix was still holding his own against Emmett.

"Emmett!" Edward called, looking over his shoulder before descending down the embankment where fires spread furiously now through the woods.

He grunted, pushing off Felix hard, dissatisfied that he could not finish what he started. Edward's urgent voice, however, had him worried and he following him down into the pit of fire.

Caius marched up to Felix without a hint of sympathy and reached down for his arm, squatting above the limb and shaking his head.

"Pull back," Marcus said quietly again, calmly urging Caius to retreat.

"Not without proving our point," he told him firmly. He put his hand up and listened.

"I can't get a read on their thoughts anymore," Edward said.

"Listen harder," Jasper demanded.

A member of the guard stormed up to where Caius stood, looking around at the nearly empty field now. "He's gone," the man said.

"Who?" Caius asked, becoming increasingly leery of the flames that were spreading around them.

"Two on their side, one on ours."

"Who?" He bellowed.

"Demetri..." the man stated,

Felix got to his feel and glared at the man, holding his limb with the hold hand he had left.

Caius whipped his cape around furiously with his arm and looked at Marcus, then battered up Felix. Across the way he saw a wolf down, unmoving, and ambers littered the ground where Micah and Helen were burned. He knew, however, that Aro wouldn't be satisfied. Regardless of the numbers, the Cullens hadn't lost a great deal. The Volturi, however, would be returning home without Demetri if the man's words were true.

"What do you mean gone?" Marcus asked in a quiet, raspy voice.

"I saw him... burn."

Caius' jaw straitened up and he clutched the man's collar roughly. "You saw him and you did nothing?"

He swallowed hard, knowing Caius would end his life without batting an eye. "I... I was with the girl. The short-haired girl with the dark hair."

"Alice," Marcus nearly whispered.

"And?" Caius practically screamed in his face, sending streaks of venomous saliva across the man's face.

"And I ended her," he told him, looking up at the Volturi leader with wide eyes. They shuffled back and forth nervously to read his expression.

Caius looked skeptical of the man, but continued to hear Jasper's edgy voice and Edward's claims that he could not hear her thoughts anymore. He continued to lend an ear, then looked at the man and smiled before ripping his head off.

Marcus showed no expression, though Felix seemed slightly taken off-guard, though not bothered by the act.

"Burn the body," he demanded of his enforcer, "Throw it in the gorge and let's go home."

Caius and Marcus walked toward the edge of the cliff and saw the nasty scene below. There was no sign of Alice and he recognized Edward kneeling beside a pile of ash, digging through it with his hands. A smile crossed Caius' face as he witnessed what Edward was holding in his hands. The thought crossed his mind that their coven was now triumphant. The loss of a valuable member like Demetri was, indeed, great; though two great losses to the Cullens, on top of several other casualties, including Micah and Helen, would be more than enough to call the plan a success.

"I believe Aro will be pleased," he said to Marcus, "It appears as though they've got considerable losses, perhaps moreso than even our own."

"It appears that way," Marcus said quietly.

Felix tossed the head of their guard member into the air, landing it well into the engulfment of flames. He then looked to Caius again, who still appeared disgusted by his condition.

"Round them up," Caius told him contently, "We're going back to Italy." His eyes scanned where most of the Cullen family had gathered where Edward still knelt. "With any luck the rest of them will burn right along with them."

Below, Emmett leaned over Edward, who continued to press Bella for answers, despite what he held in his hands.

"It's not true," he said, shaking his head, "Bella..."

Masen, Leah, Cassandra and Shane burst on the scene and looked around, seeing Jasper's numb expression. He looked down at the necklace in Edward's hands that was buried in the ash by the fire.

"What's that?" Masen asked, seeing the other pieces of jewelry in Edward's hands.

Bella looked up to him, then looked down, but he pushed his way in between them.

Alex and Michael emerged onto the scene and saw as Masen pushed back out of the circle roughly.

"Masen!" she called to her brother, "What? What's going on?" She went to run up to Edward but he stopped her.

She perched herself up to see what he was keeping from her view and shock filled her face as she first saw Alice's necklace and then her father's cross that Esme had given him, along with the ring he never took off. They were covered in ash, the only remnants of life in the smoke, ash and blaze.

A big whoosh from the fire around them snapped Emmett back to reality and he slapping Edward on the shoulder. "We have to go," he said, "We have to go now."

Edward stayed still for another minute or two before Rosalie got down to his eye level. "Edward, come on, we have to go. We have to get out of here."

"Jasper!" Emmett began pushing his limp body away from the flames that gradually stalked where he stood. "Let's go Masen!" he shouted, taking leadership of the situation. "We'll discuss this when we're out of here, but we're not safe."

"Come on," Rosalie guided Alex up the hill, as she continued to look back.

Bella touched Edward's face gently so he would look her, rather than the ash covered jewelry in his hand. "We have to go."


	29. Beauty to Battleground

**Hmm... to Emm McCullen, maybe I subconsciously do have a thing for Felix... I just realized that what you said is totally true lol... didn't even realize it :)**

* * *

**Chapter 29**

No one knew what was true, and what wasn't. Edward and Bella were the last to pull out of the fire, climbing to the top of the ridge to join just about everybody else. The Volturi were gone, not a member of their coven in sight, and their thoughts were long gone with them.

"Demetri's dead," Jacob said, looking around to scan the faces of everyone around them. He stood in a pair of torn red shorts upon transforming back to his human self. "Carlisle killed him."

"How do you know that?" Edward asked him.

"I saw him."

"What happened to Carlisle?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know," Jacob admitted, "I had to defend myself against Jane."

Jasper looked at him, "What about Alice?"

He shook his head, "I don't know. I never saw her."

Kayla and Jeremy trotted in their direction and motioned for them to return to the house.

Jasper and Edward each took another glanced over the side of the cliff, glancing down at the flames that had turned the beautiful landscape into something straight out of a nightmare.

"Come on," Edward said.

"Where's the necklace?" Jasper asked, looking him directly in the eye with a stiff jawline.

He reached into his pocket and removed the piece of jewelry that belonged to Alice. He placed it into Jasper's palm, leaving a small black line in the center of his hand.

"She's not dead," Jasper told Edward firmly, though he could see that he wasn't quite sure of the words he spoke.

He looked at his brother for a moment, then nodded. "I know."

"Can you hear her at all?"

Edward looked around the area, and down again into the pit, then shook his head with only the slightest movement back and forth.

Jasper almost glared at him, but took in a deep breath through his nose and headed toward the house with the others.

...

Esme stood up as she saw everyone approaching the house, that through all the destruction, remained untouched. She burst out the back door and onto the porch with Mackenzie next to her, who began to shout and cry with relief the second she saw her parents. Esme put her arms around her, and Mackenzie held her tightly before finally breaking apart to see Rosalie.

"Are they gone?" she asked.

Rosalie nodded solemnly, "Yes." Her eyes met Esme's for a moment, but she looked away immediately.

Garrett and Kate both darted in from the opposite side of everyone, each looking stressed, but okay.

"Mom," Maddy sighed, looking at William for a moment before going to hug the two of them.

"We almost got her," Garrett said, "But she used her gift on me as she ran." He shook his head, referring to Jane.

Alex and Masen approached Esme.

"Caleb," she said, "He's..."

"He was taken almost immediately with Delilah," Nicole said, speaking for the first time with anybody.

"And he's still alright like your mother said?" Esme asked her, looking back and forth rapidly between her and Jasper. She looked around at everyone who stood before her, noticing the absence of Carlisle and Alice. She knew asking the questions would make the possibilities all the more real, and so she hesitated. "Where's... Alice?" she asked first.

Edward looked at Jasper, then down and Nicole looked as if she couldn't say anything.

"We're not sure," Emmett said finally, after an aggravatingly long silence.

"Nicole," Esme said, "Can you see her?"

She shook her head and looked at Jasper, who's hand was locked tightly around his daughter's shoulder.

"Edward?" she asked, "Her thoughts..."

He took a deep breath and couldn't bring himself to speak about what he had found, and what conclusions their family had come to. Edward saw it in everyone's mind; they all suspected the same thing and felt the same way about it.

Esme looked into his eyes, recognizing that he was fighting to look anywhere else but at her. Bella, too, eyed the grass beneath her feet as she moved her foot back and forth against the ground. Masen and Alex had tear-streaked faces, and Emmett and Rosalie were both staring at her with wounded eyes. Even Jacob couldn't look in her direction for longer than a second. She landed her eyes on Jasper again and realized that she hadn't seen him looking so stiff, uncomfortable and distraught in decades. He looked like a statue.

Edward stepped forward and began to shake his head, and Rosalie turned her back, being immediately comforted by Emmett as she tried not to cry.

"I'm going to find Caleb," Esme said, failing to acknowledge what everyone was so obviously not saying. She knew why they were all upset and looking at her in the fashion that they were.

"Mom," Masen said, as she marched toward them about to push past the crowd of people. "Leah and I will go." He looked at her and she nodded.

"I'm going," she told them, "I don't care how long it takes me to get there, but I'm going to get him."

"Esme, no," Rosalie said, turning back around, "You have to stay here safe because of the baby."

"Rosalie..." she said, "My baby was kidnapped. I have to go after him."

"He'll be okay," Nicole said. She looked at Leah, suddenly realizing that the claims of her and Masen were true. " They'll meet up with your Irish friends in Italy. Caleb and Delilah will have gotten away before Caius and everyone even return."

"I still have to go," Esme insisted.

"Mom..." Masen looked at her, "You can't."

She looked at her son, then to Jasper again, who hadn't moved even an inch from the position he stood in. His eyes shifted in her direction for a moment and he simply opened the hand that wasn't on Nicole's shoulder, revealing Alice's necklace.

"What's that?" she asked fearfully, noticing the soot that still covered parts of it.

"Alice's necklace," Edward answered, knowing Jasper wasn't able to. He stepped forward, "Esme..."

She shook her head, "Don't Edward." Tears formed in the corner's of her eyes that she tried so desperately to fight.

"I'm sorry," he said, opening his hand that held Carlisle's ring and cross.

Esme shook her head again, looking down at the jewelry in his hand. She closed his hand back up and tears streamed down her face.

"Esme," Edward said.

"Did you see him?" she asked.

"Did I... no, but-"

"Then I can't believe that. She glanced down at his closed fist and saw the ash covered chain that dangled from in between his fingers. She looked over her shoulder at Jasper again before she collapsed to the ground.


	30. Voicemail

**Chapter 30**

Edward bent down to comfort Esme. It had been a long time since he had felt so helpless. Masen squatted down slowly and touched his mother's shoulder.

"If they're alive, we'll find them," Emmett said quietly to Jasper, who turned a lifeless stare to his brother, then looked back down toward the palm of his hand. He realized that he never wanted the ash that decorated his hand to go away if it was the only thing left of his love.

Esme felt like there was a balloon inside of her chest that was being blown up. There was so much pressure and she felt like she couldn't move. She knew this is what Carlisle had been so vague about in his responses to her when she had asked if he would be alright. She managed to open her eyes and looked down into Edward's closed fist and placed her hand over it.

Edward looked at Esme and opened his hand again. She immediately covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment but reopened them just a second or two later. Her fingers traced over the ring and the blacked portion of Edward's pale skin.

Esme sat flat on the ground, fearful that even on her knees she would fall from the intensity of the feelings that were passing through her body. She slowly grabbed the cross necklace from Edward's hand next, not knowing which item she favored. The tears in her eyes made everything in front of her blurry for a moment, and she let them drop so she could see Carlisle's possessions clearly.

Visions of the day she'd given him the cross passed through her mind. She had told him that day to have faith, and in her heart that's what the piece of jewelry represented; faith, or more specifically to the situation was blind faith. Her conversation with Carlisle just days before revolved around the subject and she decided that she had to take it as a sign. She toyed with her own necklace, the one he had given to her on the same evening. The inscription on the back read _Strength_.

Carlisle's words rang in her ears from that night. She remembered them word for word just before he locked the necklace across the back of her neck. _You have more strength than anyone I've ever met. If you ever have a doubt in your mind about how strong you are, which you shouldn't, maybe this will help remind you. _

Esme wanted to believe that, and feel it, but without him she couldn't; not at that moment. She felt torn, and weak and vulnerable. She felt as though her super senses had banished her; they, too, were gone. Her eye sight was a blur and the scents of those around her were a conjoined blur, with her mind playing tricks on her to make her feel as though she could still sense Carlisle nearby. She knew that wasn't true, or the faces of her family around her wouldn't look so depressing and melancholy.

Edward's hands still clung to Esme, and she managed to turn for the sympathy she held for Jasper. He looked cold, and angry and broken. The feelings must have been multiplied by thousands from having to feel every emotion that was being to sting her body and paralyze her in the position she sat in.

Esme looked back to Edward and saw that his lips were moving and he was looking at her, but she couldn't hear anything. She tried consciously to make out what he was saying, but she couldn't. He glanced back at Bella, appearing to be nervous about Esme's catatonic state.

She glanced up past his shoulder and saw Jasper marching furiously away with Nicole and Emmett right on his heels. Though his voice sounded far away, Esme was able to make out Emmett's as he began to rattle off concerned demands.

"Jasper, go back man," he said.

The echoes became clearer and Esme felt like a pair of deafening headphones had been removed from her ears.

"I'm going to look for her," he said sternly, "You can't stop me."

"The fires," Emmett insisted, "They're spreading down there, you have to stay up here."

Jasper didn't say anything, he kept walking and Emmett half-heartedly got in his path, drawing a glare from Jasper.

"Dad," Nicole said, shaking her head, "Please..." Her eyes begged him to stay with her and his features softened a bit.

Jasper stared at his daughter, then closed his eyes for a second before he seemed to have gotten an idea. He felt the pockets of his pants, thankful immediately that his phone was intact.

Esme stood up with Edward's assistance and looked in his direction thoughtfully, about to do the same thing as Jasper put the piece of plastic up to his ear.

Everybody watched, and then turned their heads at the same time when they heard Alice's ringer going off in the distance.

Jasper and Nicole looked at each other, then darted in the direction of the phone that was sounding off. Emmett followed closely behind, trying not to smother Jasper, but concerned for his well-being all the same. When they got the to edge of the cliff, everybody noticed where the noise was stemming from at the same time.

About halfway down the severely beaten path, the baby blue cover of Alice's I-phone could be seen and heard as it spouted off the familiar ringtone that everyone knew so well.

Jasper's eyes landed on the item and he quickly turned his phone off before making his way down the rocky cliff.

"Dad," Nicole said quietly.

He looked at her in the eyes, "I'm just getting the phone. Then we'll talk."

She nodded and watched as he made his way down, then quickly returned, looking at the phone with painful admiration.

Esme's shaking hands tried their best to find Carlisle's name in the recent calls list, though the task was taking her a long time than it typically did.

Masen was trying to be strong, having put his tears on hold while Alexandra couldn't control herself. He placed a hand gently over his mother's and she willingly gave him the phone so he could finish doing what she started.

"Thank you," she said quietly, then eagerly put the receiver to her ear. Without a ring, the call was sent to voicemail and the sound of Carlisle's voice on the recording made her feel as if she could vomit. She wanted to keel over and lay in a ball on the ground and repeatedly listen to his voice as he spoke the simple words of: _You've reached Carlisle Cullen. I'm unable to get to the phone so please leave a message and I'll call you as soon as I can._

Esme knew she could have done that very easily and relished in the sound of his voice for hours and hours, not caring what else was happening around her. For her children, however, she knew she had to get a grip on the situation and begin to face it.

She closed her eyes and sighed.

"What happened?" Masen asked.

"It went to his voicemail," Esme said, then took in a deep, composed breath. Her hand still shook as she clung to her phone, but she managed to get back in control of herself. "I need to find Caleb," she said, looking at Masen first and then Edward.

"Leah and I are going to Italy," Masen told her, then looked to his wife who confirmed with a nod.

"So am I," Cassandra told them, standing with her arms folded next to Shane.

He looked over at her, "Then I'm going too."

"I'll swim if I have to," Esme told them, "But I need to get him back."

"Esme," Edward said, then looked at Rosalie.

"You have to stay," Rosalie told her, drawing a nod from Nicole. She hadn't moved from Jasper's side.

"I need to see that he's okay," Esme said, looking around between the three of them.

"He's okay," Nicole assured her, "He'll return home with Masen, and so will Delilah."

She sighed again, silently agreeing though not making it known through her body language. She glanced down at the phone in her hand and had the urge to try Carlisle's phone again.

Jasper continued looking down into the fire below and Edward made his way to where he still stood with Emmett and Nicole.

"Jasper," Edward said, "I know that you want to, but Alice and Carlisle..." He shook his head, "They aren't down there."

"They're somewhere," he insisted firmly.

Edward felt too inflicted to argue. He wanted to believe Jasper. "I know," he said.

"So, I'm going to find her."

"Dad," Nicole said, but didn't finish.

Jasper looked down at his phone and glanced at the time. "I'll give it two hours," he told them, "If I don't find her by ten o'clock, then I'll come back."

Esme liked the idea, plagued originally by thoughts of sitting around the house waiting, or leaving completely to return to where ever it was they would now call home.

"I'm going too," she said, "I need to see if he's somewhere."

Edward wanted to argue that their thoughts were nonexistent, and to point out the obvious fact that if Alice and Carlisle were nearby, they would have returned to the group. He didn't know what he felt, but hope wasn't it. He felt pain in knowing that there was a strong possibility that they would never see Carlisle or Alice again.


	31. Questions

**Chapter 31**

Esme wasn't sure what was right. Questions entered and exited her mind with rapid rushes of anxiety and pain.

_Was it right to let Masen go after Caleb? Should I have gone with him, or were Edward and Rosalie right for me to stay? Will they make it back okay? Will they make it back at all?_

She wandered the reservation, knowing Edward had kept on her pace to make sure nothing happened. He hadn't told her he was keeping an eye out for her, and they hadn't communicated in the several hours she had been searching, but she was comforted by the vague, yet close nature of his scent.

The midnight hour was beginning to creep in with no sign of Carlisle or Alice. She knew what she was doing was useless, but she couldn't bring herself to stop.

_Think of the baby_, she thought, _and the harm that could potentially come from the tireless stress._

Esme stopped, recognizing that she wasn't far from Kayla and Jeremy's house. She glanced down at her sneakers and realized she had wandered into the ashy burial ground of the war's aftermath. Her feet easily crushed the crumbled mounds of wood and leaves and dirt. There was nothing left.

The fires had died, but scars of their presence were prominent on the once sacred land. Esme felt guilty and sorrowful for the tribe who called the land home. She knew it would take a long time before things would be the same for them.

Her eyes drifted up the cliff that led to the solid ground where the rest of the family resided in and around the house. She glanced down at her stomach and placed her hands there, feeling a similar emptiness that she had only known before Carlisle.

Edward finally emerged, seeing Esme's sulking posture and hugged her lightly without saying anything. She welcomed the embrace, and hugged him back.

"I don't know what to do right now," she whispered to him, grabbing the back of the collar of his shirt, "I don't know where anybody is. Caleb is halfway across the world, Masen and Leah and Cassie are going after him. I don't know where Carlisle and Alice are, but I'm starting to believe the worst."

"The kids are going to be fine," Edward said back quietly. "And I can hear your thoughts. You're not a bad mother for letting them go. Masen and Leah are grown. They're doing their part. Nicole saw them returning safely. The best thing you can do is come inside and relax for the sake of the baby before we go home."

"Home where?" she asked him.

He wasn't sure at first, but knew everything they owned was in Minnesota. "I'd say back to Minnesota, and then we can talk about heading to Forks. The house is still in our name there."

Esme sighed and closed her eyes, not wanting to move from where she stood. "Edward..." she said, "They would have come back to us already if they were still alive, wouldn't they?"

He sighed, "I don't know."

"I've thought that maybe they followed Caleb and Delilah to Italy," she went on, then shook her head, "But they would have contacted us, and Nicole would have been able to see it because Masen and Leah are on their way there."

Edward wasn't sure what to say; whether to be realistic with his beliefs, or hold on to the small amount faith that existed in the deepest corner of his heart for Esme's sake. "They could have lost their phones in the scuffle," he told her, "I mean Alice's was here and maybe Carlisle's was destroyed. How could they contact us right away if they were going to Italy."

Esme could tell in the tone of his voice that he was attempting to make her feel better. She knew his words were a stretch. "Is he dead Edward?"

He began to rub his hand across her back soothingly and felt her begin to cry. "We should get back inside," he whispered, "And start to think about heading back to Minnesota."

Esme took his lack of a response to her question as a type of confirmation to her thoughts. She didn't know what to say and so she finally broke away from him and dried under her eyes, feeling the baby move inside of her. The life force it provided her from such a minute movement was enough to put at least enough energy back into her body to climb back up to the house with Edward's assistance.

The two of them walked closely together and back into the once homey atmosphere. The slight hope from Alex's face upon her return faded when she saw the look on her mother's and Edward's faces. She immediately wrapped her arms around Esme and the two of them managed a quick cry together.

Nicole sat perched by the window, checking her watch as she scanned the area for Jasper. Their time frame had long since passed, but she wasn't at all mad at him; just worried that his aching heart would get the best of him.

All in all, their family was in shambles and they somehow needed to find a way to pick up the pieces.

...

Caius wasn't much for phones, but he decided to use the temporary cellular device that Aro had given him for means of communication just before they left the United States. He reached into the inner pocket of his cloak and removed Luciana's phone number, dialing it carefully one digit at a time until it began to ring.

Almost right away, Luciana picked up with a brief 'hello' before Aro's voice immediately took over.

"Caius," he stated, all the while quietly instructing his daughter to leave the room.

"I've got some news," Caius told him.

"Do tell."

He looked at Marcus and eyed Felix's missing limb, then decided to get on with it. "Micah and Helen were killed instantly at the battle, as well as a few of the wolves that attacked us."

"I see," Aro said, knowing there was more.

"There was also more significant losses you must know about immediately." The silence on the other end of the line forced Caius to continue. "On both sides."

"Both sides..." Aro repeated the phrase.

"Yes," he responded, "We lost Demetri."

Caius waited, figuring he would begin with the worst news for their coven.

"I surely hope that's not the news you're giving me."

"Carlisle and Alice were also... killed."

Aro didn't know what to say, and he remained silent for several minutes, leaving Caius checking his end of the receiver to make sure they were still connected.

"Carlisle and Alice..." he said finally.

"Yes," Caius confirmed, "One of the guard members did away with Alice. The Cullens were mourning and collected their jewelry from the ashes."

There was another long bout of silence before Aro hung up the phone. The Volturi members waited for over an hour for him to return the phone call before Caius called him back, resulting in nothing but voicemail.

"Shall we dispose of the phone and return to Italy?" Marcus asked, looking toward Caius.

He looked as if he didn't know what to do, but decided that Aro was most likely handling the news on his own terms. He didn't know if he was at all happy over the news, or unmoved, or angry, but Caius finally nodded to his brother and their coven descended into the Atlantic Ocean.


	32. Coming Home

**Chapter 32**

Seth sat with Luciana upon her father's departure. Both of them looked as if they didn't know what to do with the news that wasn't easily hid from Aro's conversation with Caius.

"I don't want to be a part of their lives anymore," Luciana said to him somberly. She shook her head. "I can't do it. This back and forth stuff and trying to please him isn't working. I'm a mess Seth."

He didn't say anything but rubbed her back gently as she put her head down on his shoulder. The two of the sat in silence in the living room of the house Aro had purchased for the two of them, staring out into the blackness of the morning's first hours.

"Are they really dead?" Seth finally asked quietly. He noticed several teardrops as they connected with the fabric of his jeans.

Luciana swallowed hard. "I heard Caius say it on the other end."

He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to him, eventually laying them both down onto the couch where they laid for several hours without saying so much as a word. Every now and then Luciana would continue with the notion that she wanted to cut all ties with her father and the Volturi.

Seth continued to soothingly run her had across her back, just listening, until he finally laid motionless and began to snore.

Luciana felt comfort in the way he slept and remained cuddled up against him in the darkness. She knew what had happened was wrong, and unjustified, only finding out they had ambushed the Cullens and the other wolves during Aro's phone conversation. He denied that he had ordered the attack, and claimed he just wanted to talk and get justice with Micah and Helen.

She had wanted to believe him so badly, and acknowledge the callousness that lived inside of Caius and Jane, though she knew his words were false and untrue. Luciana knew that her father had been the mastermind behind the attack. She didn't need his mind reading abilities to know that was certain.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on Seth's breathing, knowing they would have to tell their friends what had happened in the morning.

...

The tearful goodbye from Kayla and Jeremy's house provided everyone with the same hollow feeling. Their friends' family was intact, but their land had been destroyed, and two members of their tribe had been killed in the fight. Things would certainly take awhile to return to normalcy.

The travels to Minnesota were even worse. The trip was long and somber. No one really spoke until they were finally back onto the grounds of their property. The cars were parked and one by one they made their way inside the empty home that echoed upon each step they took. The lonely sound only added to the emptiness that everyone shared.

Alex couldn't help herself, though she knew they weren't there. "Dad!" she called out, sending the word peppering off the walls and tall ceilings. "Alice!"

Michael slid his arm around her waist and put his face close to hers, keeping his lips by her ear and cupping her face with his other hand. "Let's go talk upstairs."

She shook her head, but let him guide her away.

Esme had managed to push her deepest emotions as far down as she could during the trip. She had barely spoken, and looked past all the surroundings to the nothingness. Without a word, she took the stairs slowly to her bedroom and closed the door, then pressed her back against it and looked around the room.

She glanced at the laundry basket in the corner of the room that held only the last bath towel Carlisle had used before they left. The image of him walking around with it wrapped around his waist while the two of them discussed their plans filled her mind. His scent was everywhere.

The decorative chair in the corner of the room caught Esme's eye and she saw the hat she'd recently bought for Carlisle. The old time feel of the style of it always made her think of their earlier days together. She could never choose the favorite time of her life with him, and the rest of their family, as all were special in different ways. However, whenever she pictured him wearing that hat her thoughts drifted to the nineteen-twenties.

Esme smiled for a moment, remembering specifics about their newlywed days together. Carlisle was always smiling, and greeted her after every shift at the hospital with a kiss or two or three before saying a word. He'd give her piggyback rides through the woods, or on walks by the beaches they took at night when the rest of the town was sleeping. Even in the more anxious times when they sat waiting week after week for Edward's return, it was something they'd done together. When he finally returned they welcomed him with overwhelming happiness. Every journey Esme had ever taken in the immortal life was with Carlisle.

She felt the intensity of the situation beginning to weigh on her, and the feeling she suppressed began to rise, starting like a collection of steel butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Esme crossed the room and opened the closet door, being hit by his scent that sparked every sense in her body, dilating her pupils and stinging her nose.

A row of his shirts hung on the right side of the closet. She removed the closest one to her, and held it up toward her face before it even released itself from the hanger. Esme couldn't help it, she began to cry into the heavenly fabric of the button-down and wandered toward the bed, leaving the plastic hanger swaying back and forth behind her.

She tried to be quiet, but didn't really care who could hear her. Esme sobbed for the next hour, keeping her face buried in Carlisle's shirt while she lied curled up in a ball on the bed. Every so often, the baby would move or kick and she managed to compose herself for several seconds before thinking more in depth about the situation again and continuing to release her emotions.

As much as she loved and welcomed the comfort of her family members, she hoped that no one would knock on the door, or help themselves in. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts and get out all her feelings on her own terms.

When the long, dreadful hour had passed, only ending when Masen's name lit up the screen of her phone, Esme sat up abruptly and felt a stinging in her eyes. The surroundings looked foreign, as did her ring tone, but she quickly regained a more conscious mind.

"Masen," she answered, unable to hide the fact that she had been crying.

"Mom," he said, "I just want you to know that I'm with Caleb and Delilah. We were just with Siobhan, Liam and Maggie."

Esme felt a rush of relief pass through her body and several more tears dropped down her cheeks, "Are they okay? Are you okay?"

"We're okay," he told her quietly, "We're going to head back to the house in Minnesota."

"Okay," she said, trying to maintain her composure for her son. The relief she felt just hearing his voice, and knowing that Caleb and Delilah were both alright made her feel like she was floating. It was the only spark of hope she'd had and she longed to hold onto it.

"I love you Mom," Masen told her, "We'll be there soon."

"I love you too, honey," she said through the tears, "Please come home safe."

"We will," he said, "And... um... I did tell them about what happened."

Esme closed her eyes and put her hand over the top half of her face. She continued to wipe tears away.

"They've already communicated to others," Masen continued, "Benjamin, Tia..."

"Just come back to me safe Masen," she said, unable to talk about Carlisle any longer. "I need to see all of you here safe."

"Okay," he agreed. "We'll stay there as long as you want."

Esme sighed, "I love you," she repeated.

"I love you too," he told her, "We're going to board the plane. We'll be there soon."

Esme had a difficult time hanging up the phone, but finally managed to put it back to the side on the nightstand. She looked around the room again before settling herself down on Carlisle's side of the bed. She placed her head in the center of his pillow and slid under the covers in the fetal position. It was time to give her whole heart to their baby for the next several hours. She knew he or she deserved some love and attention from her, and so she began to talk soothingly to her belly.


	33. Absolute Truth

**Chapter 33**

Bella hesitantly made her way into Jasper and Alice's room to find him sitting on the ledge of the open window looking out into the darkness. A full twenty-four hours had passed since the fight with the Volturi had taken place, and he had been unable to function properly since.

"Jasper," Bella said quietly, causing both of them to jump when he whipped around, apparently being taken completely off guard from her stealthy entrance into the room. "I'm sorry," she said just as timidly, looking down toward her hands.

Jasper's eyes followed her stare to the envelope she held in her hands. He then glanced up and looked her directly in the eye, not at all shy over the fact that dried venom tears were still noticeable on his cheeks.

"Alice wanted me to give you this," she told him, "She gave it to me before we left for Montana; before any of this happened."

He stood up and raced across the room, having torn the envelope and removed the letter before Bella could comprehend that he'd moved at all.

She watched as his lips and eyes moved as he read the note, holding it so hard at the sides that a small piece tore off. His face was torn, and the letter seemingly only made him feel worse. He didn't speak.

"I'm sorry Jasper," Bella said, shaking her head. She wanted to comfort him and put a hand on his arm, or hug him, but she could tell it wasn't something he was prepared to welcome.

Jasper looked at Bella and folded the letter back up and nodded. She was shocked when he placed an appreciative hand on her shoulder, before turning back toward the window to resume his initial position in the frame. He then unfolded the note again and began to re-read it.

Bella left the room quietly, leaving Jasper to the privacy of his thoughts.

When the door clicked shut, he looked up briefly, then continued on, unable to keep himself from compulsively reading the perfectly printed words she'd left as a type of memoir to him. There was a specific part that she'd written that he whole-heartedly did not want to comply with. It was her request to refrain from attacking Aro when he came to pay his respects.

Jasper wanted to stalk the Volturi and take each of them down one by one, not caring if he died in the process. He wanted their deaths to be slow and painful, and he wanted them to look him in the eye as they died, knowing he avenged the life of Alice. Her final request, however, was that he go through the motions, shaking the Volturi leader's hand and let it be. She explained thereafter that Aro and the Volturi would leave them alone following the visit, not to return because they would feel as though they'd finally won over the Cullens. She emphasized that the act, no matter how difficult, would ultimately preserve the life of their daughter, and it was this that caused Jasper to give in to his wife's requests.

He knew it wouldn't be easy, to look the man in the eye with hateful eyes and not act, but he couldn't let Alice's words go to waste. He decided to man up the strength to call a meeting about her requests with the rest of the family. If it was the last thing she asked of him, he would do it. Jasper knew he couldn't lose Nicole too.

...

Aro had departed from Forks, taking the long walk along the Canadian border. He knew the area where the Cullens resided, though he wasn't at all prepared for how they would welcome him.

Feelings passed in and out of him. He couldn't believe that Carlisle and Alice were really dead until he saw it for himself. Though it was what he thought he wanted, Aro suddenly felt very empty, as if the conquest he had been on was finally met and it didn't taste as sweet as he'd imagined.

_What will we do now?_ he wondered, _if this is true and they're actually dead, we've won._

The thought bothered him, even more than the thought of Demetri being gone. He was displeased to hear the news, and knew their family would take a hit from the loss, though he knew somewhere along the line, he could be replaced. The fact that he felt unaccomplished by eliminating two of the prime members of the Cullen coven, including his old friend Carlisle and highly-gifted Alice, made him feel almost empty.

Aro couldn't understand why he felt nothing. Was it because he wasn't directly involved? Because he couldn't quite believe the news yet? Because his coven, too, had lost an important figure? He wasn't sure. He did know, however, that he would have preferred the losses be in the form of other members of their family, perhaps Emmett and Rosalie.

_Does eliminating Carlisle and Alice, and essentially winning the ongoing conflict with the Cullens mean there will be no great conquests left?_ Aro continued to ask himself the questions that he suddenly realized he desperately needed the answers for.

He took his time, taking several days to wander across the country to where their family resided. He intended to pay his respects and read their thoughts. Aro knew the members of the family would not be able to hide the truth. He knew, particularly Esme and the children, would willingly or not provide him with the truth to what happened to Carlisle. He knew Jasper and Nicole wouldn't be able to hide what happened to Alice. None of them would, really. The second he touched their hands, he would be able to see it all, and live vicariously through the mourning family members that were supposedly attempting to pick up the pieces.

Aro felt an ounce or two of satisfaction cross through his body finally after several days of travel. It was all he could think about. He was obsessed with finding out the truth; not that he didn't believe Caius and Marcus, but he knew that Esme and Jasper's mind would provide him with the absolute truth. Once he got the confirmation from their thoughts that their mates were dead, he would leave and return to Italy. He could go and sit easy, knowing he made his mark on the society of vampires.

He began to change his outlook. If it was a fact that high profile members of the Cullen family had perished, low-level covens would stop attacking the Volturi. They would regain their highly maintained status and go on with the fearful presence that they held for centuries.

Aro smiled to himself. _Yes_, he thought, _the second I get confirmation from the Cullens, I can rest easy in Italy for a very, very long time._

He looked upward upon seeing a faint light in the distance through the trees where he walked. From the scents that hit him in the nearby area, he knew the home in the distance belonged to the rival coven that he was searching for. The Cullens' massive estate sat waiting for him with answers he needed to know. It would only be minutes now, and Aro was more than ready to get the absolute truth out on the table.


	34. A Final Confirmation

**Chapter 34**

Aro could hear the sound of the Irishman's voice that he wasn't all too familiar with. He recognized his scent, only vaguely, but he knew he was an ally of the Cullens. He listened for a moment, stopping his position as the man gave his condolences to Esme. The sound of weeping surprised Aro and he felt as though it sounded authentic; not rehearsed or practiced.

_Are they really gone? _he wondered. For whatever reason, Aro had a difficult time accepting the fact that Carlisle and Alice's deaths were, indeed, a reality. He hovered in the shadows, hearing Esme's tearful goodbye to the Irish clan before the door shut and the scents of the three vampires she had been speaking to faded into the night.

Aro walked slowly, intending to deny all involvement in regards to the war that had taken place in Montana. He would admit to the planning of Michah and Helen's demise, and apologize heavily for the end result, falsely wishing that they hadn't made the trip to protect the wolves that resided there.

Before he was able to make the trip all the way to the front door, the patio doors swung open and Jasper was the first to emerge.

Aro froze for a moment, reading the scowl he was unable to hide, then glanced next to him as Nicole slid under his arm. Within just a few seconds, the entire Cullen family stood together outside of the back door with similar stares at the Volturi leader.

Jasper kept replaying Alice's words from the letter in his mind. She had specifically asked him not to attack. He knew killing Aro would be just, but it would lead to another blow-out fight that she indicated would result in the loss of their daughter.

Everyone was thinking the same thing, but believed whole-heartedly in Alice's visions. They knew they couldn't lose anyone else, as the absence of Carlisle and Alice had completely torn everybody apart.

Edward and Emmett had a difficult time holding back, though Edward had discussed Esme's thoughts with him and he agreed based on her internal wishes. She feared heavily that if they retaliated that day, that eventually the Volturi would come back and lives would continue to be taken from both covens until there was virtually nothing left. She feared being alone with no one there; no Edward, no Emmett, no Rosalie, no children. With Alice's confirmation that this would be a step in that direction if they chose to take Aro's life, no one acted on what they were feeling.

Aro's expression remained rather dull, and blank until he stepped forward.

"You want confirmation," Edward said callously, "That's why you're here?"

"I'm here for several reasons," Aro spoke, ignoring Edward's tone based on the circumstances. He knew they could destroy him, but was just overconfident enough to believe that they wouldn't dare. "Yes, that is one of the reasons, Edward, I must admit. However, I have known Carlisle a very, very long time, even longer than yourself, and I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to your family."

Aro's words infuriated Edward, as he indicated that he held some deeper connection to Carlisle than he did. It was an intentional slap in the face, adding insult to injury and he felt a growl developing in the base of his chest.

Bella put a hand up against him and soothingly coaxed him out of the anger-driven daze.

"Esme," Aro said gently, holding out a hand, "I'm deeply sorry for what happened as a result to my coven's retributional act on Micah and Helen. We did not intend for your family to be there, and I apologize that your husband's life was taken in the process." His eyes drifted toward her stomach, "And I apologize in advance to your unborn child. I normally wouldn't go to such lengths, but Carlisle was a dear friend of mine."

Esme had a hard time fighting back her tears, but didn't want to let Aro win. She held them back and extended her hand, allowing him to read her every intimate thought and emotion that had gone hand in hand with losing Carlisle. She hated the fact that she was letting him dictate the situation, but she had no fight left and wanted him to be gone so she could mourn properly and care for the child that was growing inside of her. Pride wasn't something that Esme ever let the best of her, and she decided that for the time being it was the healthiest way for her to cope.

Aro had a child-like expression on his face when he released Esme's hand. It was a look of disbelief with just the slightest touch of anxious joy that he tried so desperately to hide. He couldn't help himself. He made it was from person to person, reading all of their thoughts that displayed the same message and images as the next person; some more prominent than others, but all generically the same.

He couldn't believe it; that they were actually dead; gone.

When he finally wrapped his initial thoughts around the situation, he managed to speak. "My condolences," he said with a nod to the family who was now unable to hide the emotions that were boiling under the surface. Emmett looked as if he was about to explode. Jasper looked absolutely terrifying.

"I must return home," Aro said to them, "If there's anything anyone should need, please feel free to write. You know the address. Otherwise, I'll be on my way and I would assume we won't cross paths for a very, very long time."

Edward could see that, at least for the time being, Aro's words were true. He could see that he felt as if they'd won, and that the Cullens were no longer the threat they had been in the more recent years.

Everyone's thoughts that Aro had read were highly saturated with the notion that they could not lose any more people in the family, even if it meant taking out the entire Volturi in exchange. Their bonds were too deep, and Aro believed it was their love for one another that provided the biggest weakness to their coven. The fact that the Cullens saw it as a strength gave him all the more confidence.

When no one said anything more, Aro turned his back on the members of their family and whisked away from their home.

Masen turned his back, roughly pushing himself away from the group. He entered the house, slamming the door so hard that the small panes of glass shattered. Leah put a comforting hand on Esme's shoulder and followed Masen inside. Cassandra stayed where she was, watching her parents go. Shane had taken the trip and stood beside her.

Everyone looked around at one another.

"Jasper," Edward said, shaking his head, "You did what Alice's vision told you to do. She predicted this would happen and it did. If we retaliated right now like we all wanted to, things would have come to blows with them again. I'm not intimidated by them," he explained, "But everyone's right; Alice was right. We can't lose any more members of this family."

Jasper stared at his brother, nearly shaking from the anger and frustration and sadness. He knew Edward had read his mind, and that he was currently reading it now.

"In time," Edward said, "With a plan." He looked to Esme, then back to Jasper.

"Are we moving back to Forks?" Alex asked everyone, though her gaze switched between Esme and Edward.

"I vote yes," Rosalie said, looking around at all of them. She leaned up against Emmett's side, who was still standing tensely as if he was ready to fight. Her gentle brush against him, however, softened his posture a bit and he immediately put both of his arms around her. She closed her eyes and leaned into his chest, appearing just as exhausted and broken as the rest of them.

Esme looked at Rosalie's defeated body language and felt even more defeated, herself, because Rosalie was typically like a rock; never broken, or at least never showing it. As much as she needed Emmett, she never clung to him with the type of desperation she did at that moment.

"Esme, you should rest," Rosalie said without opening her eyes.

Emmett nodded and looked at her.

"I'll go hunt for you," Edward told her.

"Edward, it's okay- " she began.

"Esme," he said, "You do need to rest. You've been through a lot and you're not in any condition to hunt anymore. Please let me do it for you and you can meet me by the woods when I get back."

Esme didn't want to argue with him. She knew he was being sincere, and she was grateful for it, and so she nodded once.

Bella took the trip into the woods with Edward, and Emmett parted from Rosalie temporarily to escort Esme inside. He looked at Rosalie for a moment, who nodded and rubbed his back subtly before linking up with Mackenzie, William and Maddy. The four of them sat down on the couch closely together and Rosalie began to stroke her daughter's hair.

Emmett continued to walk with Esme toward her room.

"It's okay," she told him, "You can go back with your children and Rose."

He turned his mouth up in a half smile and shrugged. "Want one of my sweatshirts?" he asked.

Esme nodded, managing a quick smile as Emmett scampered down the hall to his own room and brought her back an oversized navy blue hoodie. She looked down at her stomach as they walked into her room and sighed before throwing it on.

"Yeah, I think it's about time you start raiding my wardrobe," he told her with a brief chuckle, "You're starting to get fat again."

Esme smiled at him, and let a fluttering snicker leave her mouth, before her expression turned immediately solemn again. "Thank you Emmett."

Emmett nodded and looked at her. "I'm sorry we couldn't protect him Esme."

She shook her head, "Don't be sorry for anything. I've always said that one of these days we weren't going to be so lucky in one of these things."

"It shouldn't have been anyone," he told her, "But of all people, it shouldn't have been Carlisle... or Alice."

Esme looked into his eyes, then down for a moment and smiled in a defensive attempt to keep from crying.

Emmett easily recognized the look on her face and took a few steps forward to hug her.

She buried herself in his massive frame and tried her hardest not to cry onto his chest.

He could feel that Esme was holding in her emotions and encouraged her to let out whatever she needed to. He ran his hand up and down her back and held her close.

"Do you think we did the right thing by not attacking him?" Emmett asked.

"Aro?"

"Yeah. You don't know how bad I wanted to jump over the top of everybody and rip him to pieces."

Esme sighed, "I understand," she told him, "I feel the same way, but I can't even bare the thought of losing any one of you. I don't want to fight anymore. I want to live like we all used to. Emmett, if I lost you, or Rose or Edward, Masen, Alex, Caleb, anyone else..."

"I know," he said quietly.

"If all of you weren't here right now and I lost Carlisle, I don't know what I would do. I need you."

Emmett hugged Esme a little tighter and for the first time since they'd returned from Montana, he let himself cry.


	35. Deserved Retribution

**Chapter 35**

"It's true," Aro stated over the phone. He stood on a tall cliff on the border of Maine, ready to make his journey back to Italy. The conversation between he and Caius had gone joyously. "Send Felix back to the states to check up on them as a final reassurance."

Caius agreed, not wanting to state Felix's current status, regarding the loss of his arm. He ordered Felix to head back overseas before hanging up the phone.

Aro smiled to himself and snapped the cellular device in half before leaping over the edge therapeutically and prepared for his swim across the Atlantic.

...

The Cullens were prepared to leave, having packed all their things throughout the week after Aro left, packing their bags and ordering the same U-Hauls they had used to make the trip halfway across the country to begin with. The children all ended their short-lived high schools careers at the private school. The area that Caleb had once thought of as the great memory of his first and only romance, was now tainted by the fact that their family had gone through so much grief there. He missed his father terribly, and often cried at night when it was just him and Delilah.

When the trucks were ready to go everyone found a place in a car, while Emmett and William each volunteered to drive the U-Hauls.

Masen leaned into the window of the Mercedes that Esme sat behind the wheel of. He kissed his mother on the cheek.

"I'll see you in Forks," she told him.

Masen nodded, then looked to his brother in the passenger seat, and then Alex, Michael and Delilah in the back. "Be safe," he told them.

Esme put her hand over his where it sat on the window frame of the open door and he backed away so they could begin to pull out of the driveway.

"It smells like Dad in here," Caleb said when she rolled up the window.

Esme looked over at him and gave a closed-mouth smile then placed her hand over his for a moment in the same way she had done with Masen before re-focusing straight ahead. She took a deep breath, taking a glance at their home in the rearview mirror once before deciding not to look back.

Jasper and Nicole stood in the driveway, appearing to be the last to leave as they stood looking up at Emmett, who sat with Mackenzie in the U-Haul truck. Rosalie sat behind the wheel of his Jeep just behind the truck. Everyone else had already departed.

"I'll see you at home Jas," Emmett said, looking down at his brother painfully.

Jasper nodded, having not said much at all throughout the course of the week and a half that he'd been without Alice. Nicole looked down at the keys in his hand to her mother's car, smiling at the martini-shaped keychain that dangled back and forth.

"Can I drive?" she asked.

Jasper nodded to his daughter and took in a deep breath.

"Love ya brother," Emmett told him. He was about to take off when Rosalie beeped the horn and shouted his name.

"Em!" she called, jumping out the open window to stand protectively next to Jasper.

Emmett looked at Mackenzie, "Stay here."

"Wait-"

"Just stay," he demanded softly. "Nicole, get in there with her."

Emmett opened the door to the truck and saw Felix emerge, just as the others did. He stood tall with a smirk and still sported one arm.

"What'd you come to get that repaired?" Emmett asked him, gesturing toward the severed limb.

Felix continued to smile and looked at Alice's car, which he stood just a foot or two to the side of. "I think I'll manage. You couldn't finish the job Emmett." He lifted his arm up for a moment, then swiftly opened the lid to the gas tank.

Jasper went to move in his direction, but Felix removed a lighter from his pocket and slipped into where the gasoline was held and everybody ran in different directions, Felix included, until eventually the entire car caught fire and lifted off the ground two or three inches with a sickening, loud pop.

"I suppose this was a memento," Felix gushed with a laugh, "I guess the car's just as good as Alice now."

Jasper couldn't help himself. His face twisted into a snarl and he growled heavily, gritting his teeth as he charged at Felix, knocking him to his back with Emmett and Rosalie at either side, holding the man down.

He still smiled, despite his position and they all began to wonder why he didn't appear afraid to die.

"You won't kill me," Felix told them, grinning ear to ear. "Aro already read your thoughts. Your _love_ for each other is too great to risk another battle," he mocked. "How foolish, you could have easily killed him he said, but you didn't. Not even after what we did to your family members... Jasper."

Alice's message had been clear regarding Aro, though said nothing about Felix returning to them. He knew it was either a whim decision by Aro, or Alice didn't believe that any consequences would come from eliminating Felix. The fact that she said nothing at all about the subject gave Jasper the confirmation that he needed. Had Alice asked him not to do anything, he would have obeyed due to his undying love for her, and the trust he had in her visions. There was no known vision of what was occurring.

"I've come to check in on you," Felix told them, "If you even so much as touch another hair on my head, you'll all be killed. Now, if you don't mind, I need to report back to Aro to let him know that you've decided to relocate."

Emmett's eyes met Jasper's, and then Rosalie's. She looked more prepared to do away with Felix than he was, and he felt it deep in his bones.

Jasper's teeth were still clenched together and he had his hands pressed firmly against the base of Felix's neck.

"Don't let anyone else from your family die," Felix said. His voice was overconfident and cocky, as if he was the one with the vision and knew they would back down.

Jasper met Emmett's eye again for a moment, then stood up and allowed Felix up off the ground. Emmett and Rosalie still held onto them, but he quickly got himself back in order and shrugged his arms out of their grasp.

"Happy travels," Felix said coldly, turning back on them.

Jasper's eyes narrowed and he glared at the back of Felix's head as he began to walk past Alice's burning car. The sight of the burning vehicle, Alice's favorite, made him snap and without another rational thought, Jasper sprinted full speed at the big, Volturi member and plunged his fist into the back of his head, taking it nearly off completely.

Emmett and Rosalie's mouth's dropped open, and they looked at each other, as if the moment was happening in slow motion before running as fast as they could in Jasper's direction.

Felix's body dropped to the ground. His knees hit first and Jasper landed a single kick into his back, cracking his mid-section in half. He then crossed the driveway to where Felix's hair laid and looked him in the eyes, which were filled with pain and surprise, before lofting it lightly into the air toward the car.

Emmett and Rosalie aided in destroying the rest of the body, and eventually waited until the fire died down. They used water to put it out completely before disposing of the car and doing away with the burned area of the driveway as best they could.

Jasper finally let out a decompressing yell, releasing all of his frustration into the air before he collapsed onto his knees and began to sob.

Emmett and Rosalie squatted on either side of him, attempting to provide him with as much comfort as possible. They didn't know what would come of their assassination on Felix, and at that moment they didn't care. All they cared about was Jasper, and his well-being. They knew that he deserved to take the action that he'd just taken.


	36. Empowerment

**Chapter 36**

Esme looked down at the clock as she drove, then just below the radio where Carlisle's I-pod laid. It had been a gift from the kids at one point or another, and she remembered when the two of them were trying to figure out how to use it.

A smile crossed her face as she thought of how her typically patient husband began to get frustrated from trying to use the touch screen of the tiny electronic music device. She'd had more experience with them than he had at the time and was able to navigate around and show him the basics. It ended with the two of them laughing and Carlisle kissing her, telling her how he couldn't do it without her. The comment was half-heartedly referring to the I-pod, but the meaning was strongly deeper.

"We're out of Minnesota," Caleb pointed out, speaking his first words in hours as he leaned an elbow against the base of the window.

"We'll be home before you know it," Esme told him. She looked down at the I-pod again, acknowledging that the car ride thus far had been an endless pit of nothing; no talking, no sounds other than the occasional shuffle in someone's posture. "Do you want to listen to music?" she asked, looking at her son.

Caleb turned to her, eyeing the music player she had picked up and gently took it from her hand, plugging in the device using the cord under the stereo. He flipped through the playlists, smirking a few times to himself.

Esme smiled, realizing it was the first smile she had seen on his face in weeks.

"Dad really listened to this stuff?" he asked, sampling a few tracks.

Esme laughed and looked over at Caleb, "We've heard a lot of music in our day. Things have changed so much from decade to decade."

Alex managed a quiet laugh from the back seat, though when Esme looked in the rearview mirror to get a peek of her daughter, she was began to the same, sad expression that she had been unable to shake. Michael, too, looked stone-like in his appearance, and had his arm around Alex as she leaned up against him.

"No way," Caleb said with a chuckle, "He put Call Me Maybe on here."

Delilah and Alex both sat up slightly and Caleb showed them the screen.

Alex took it from him for a moment and handed it back, smiling again. "Why did he put that on there?"

"When Renesme was younger she used to love dancing around to that song," Esme said with a laugh, but felt the tears in her eyes as she spoke. "She told him to put it on his I-pod so he did. He knew every word to that song."

"Really?" she asked.

Esme nodded, still smiling as she tried to wipe a tear away from her face without them noticing.

Caleb decided to play the song, knowing it was upbeat and hoped that it could help the gloomy car ride. He looked back at Delilah and smiled as the song started, and she gave him a little flutter of laughter when he started to sing it in a girly voice.

"Masen knew all the words too," Esme said with a laugh, glancing over at Caleb who was singing along. She let the tears drop, but continued to laugh, letting out two emotions at once. From the back she could hear Alex's voice chiming in it was that moment that Esme realized how much her children empowered her. She had never felt the pain she felt inside, but they had the ability to make her smile, and even laugh, if only for a moment.

Esme sighed and continued to listen to the sounds of their voices as the song went on. When it eventually concluded, she made it a point to keep the music playing, searching for the most upbeat songs she could find.

The second half of the car ride proved to be just a little better than the first, and they managed to get through the next couple of hours feeling okay.

...

Benjamin had had a long argument with Amun, but decided he was his own man and would do as he pleased. The Irish coven had given a visit to the Egyptians, as well as several other groups of vampires they knew were fond of Carlisle.

The Romanians managed to hear through the grapevine and had agreed to devise a plan to knock the Volturi down a peg or two. Word spread that Demetri had died, and as Benjamin and Liam spent their nights stalking the Italian coven with Vladimir and Stefan, they all recognize the absence of Felix, though had no idea of his whereabouts. The Cullens had never said he was lost in the battle, but they were glad to see that he wasn't around.

Upon coming to the verdict to seek revenge in the name of their friend, and for Vladimir and Stefan more personal reasons, the four of them, plus Tia, Maggie and Siobhan waited in the shadows. They had caught on to Jane's hunting patterns, who had been typically leaving the premises with Caius to stalk their prey in the evenings.

The plan was to destroy their home, as Aro had done to the Romanian brothers. They wanted nothing more than justice for what the Volturi had done to their homes, and Carlisle's death was just an added reason to carry out the plan that they'd longed for for centuries. Neither of them cared much if they were killed in the process, though obviously hoped to live through the ordeal and relish in the joys of victory. Retribution was long overdue, and they were prepared to fight, kill or defend if the Volturi knew they were involved.

Benjamin held the key to their plan because he had control of the elements. They would wait for the right moment before setting the place ablaze and letting it burn. While they wished that Jane would be inside to eliminate her as a threat, they couldn't risk her getting wind of the situation and using her gift on them. It was for this reason that they waited for her absence to go along with what they'd discussed.

After the fire was set, Vladimir and Stefan would work alone, voluntarily so, and the rest of them would slip quietly back where they came from. The two of them wanted to feel the glory of knocking the clock tower to the ground and crumbled their dark mansion to rubble. They vowed not to say a word about the others' involvement, and Benjamin and Tia, as well as the Irish whole-heartedly believed them. They had something to prove, and rightfully so.

"There they go," Vladimir whispered. He looked up at the tower, noting Jane and Caius were right on schedule according to the stalking they'd done.

Benjamin looked eager, yet anxious and he led the way toward the tall building, still lurking in the shadows upon the midnight hour. The clock chimed twelve times and it was during this period that he stepped beneath it and crept into the halls that were otherwise forbidden. He felt the blaze beginning in his palms and it sunk out into his fingertips before his hands were prepared to spread the fire.

He closed his eyes and without another word unleashed the fury that he held inside of his hands. As he watched the fire spread, he knew there was no going back, and that his life could potentially be on the line, but he didn't care. He wasn't one to lay down and die, and he believed in standing up for what was right. The Volturi's actions against the Cullens were not justified, and he knew first hand that they were good people to the core.

"Go now," Vladimir insisted to Benjamin, "Your mate is waiting."

"Allow us to handle the rest," Stefan pitched in, "We won't go back on our word. We'll gladly take credit for this."

Benjamin looked at the two of them, who stood tall and proudly. He nodded, sensing this was a part of their destiny, and something they truly needed to do. Without another word or thought, he crossed back out into the night, pulling a hood up over his head before he joined back up with Tia, who was hiding far away in the countryside with the Irish.

"Let's go," he instructed, looking her in the eye.

"Did you..." Maggie began to ask, quickly realizing it was true when he simply nodded.

Liam and Siobhan gave Benjamin a stern, appreciative look, one which he returned, and they parted in separate directions.


	37. Pick Up Where You Left Off

**Chapter 37**

"I can't believe we're almost back," Alex said to no one in particular. She glanced out the window past Michael as the familiar landscapes of Washington came into view.

"It'll be weird to be back at the old house," Caleb said, following his sister's gaze into the trees that draped from the heavy rainfall that had recently passed. The skies were dark and cloudy, though the rain had held off since they'd entered the state. It was apparent from the wet pavement and the look of the trees, however, that nothing had changed in the town that bordered Forks.

Delilah took in the surroundings, having never been to Washington. Caleb and the others had described the rain, and while it was already somewhat depressing, she could understand why they chose the place as a permanent home. It would give them all the more freedom to be outside and do as they pleased.

"Are we the first to get all the way out here?" Alex asked.

Esme looked down at her phone briefly, then returned her eyes to the road. "I know we're in front of Edward's car," she explained, "And the last I checked in with Masen they were behind us too." She thought for a moment, "I haven't heard much from Emmett, Rosalie or Jasper."

No one thought much of it, having had some contact with each car. Though the conversations had been short, there wasn't any reason to worry, or think anything out of the ordinary.

Street signs whizzed by and the long highway that finally led into the town of Forks seemed to take the longest.

"Why does the last fifteen minutes always seem to take forever?" Alex asked.

Michael turned and smirked at her, then pouted his lips so she would give him a kiss. "It's just our mind's way of playing tricks on us," he told her.

Caleb's eyes followed a sign that indicated the high school was in that direction, and he had passing thought of whether or not they would eventually find themselves back into the classroom. A major part of him thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with other people.

"This isn't going to feel the same," Alex said quietly to Michael, though knew her mother heard her.

"We're going to make it work," Esme told them, knowing she would have a difficult time doing that. In the depths of her, she knew she had to for the sake of the children.

Alex's posture suddenly turned as sorrowful as it had been in the beginning of the ride. She slumped down slightly and leaned up against Michael. He kissed her forehead and whispered quietly, "It'll be okay."

Esme felt the tears weld up in her eyes when they crossed by the hospital and couldn't keep herself completely under control as she had for most of the drive. Caleb glanced at his mother, and then to Delilah for a moment before leaning on his hand and glancing out the window permanently. He hated to see Esme cry, and it was easiest for him if he looked away and focused on something else.

The roads all became familiar, ringing with the feeling of home before finally the car turned right down the long driveway that led up to their previous home.

Esme took in a deep breath, ridding herself of the same blurry vision that had been occurring regularly due to the excessive tears that remained stuck in her eyes. She knew her daughter's words were right. Things would never be the same, but she would do everything in her power to make sure that her children could become happy and healthy again.

For whatever reason, Esme felt more anxious driving down the driveway than she had at any other point along the way. She knew seeing the house and having to re-start her life without Carlisle was only seconds away. How would she do it? How _could_ she do it?

There were no answers that made sense and Esme decided that she didn't have to figure things out at that moment. Time would be her only ally, or so she hoped. She could see easily that it could be the enemy, though she prayed this wouldn't be the case. She tried to tell herself that she was strong and brave and could live a fulfilling life, but she wasn't so sure that was entirely possible.

Alex suddenly sprung up from her slumped position in the back seat, causing Michael to jump from her angsty behavior.

"What?" he asked, seeing the alarm in her face.

"Uh..." Alex's eyes scanned the area and she suddenly burst out of the car, opening and closing the door then completely vacating the vehicle without so much as a complete word.

Esme slammed on the breaks as a reaction, though knew it didn't do much good. "Alex!" she called, then looked back at Michael, who jumped out of the car and followed to where she ran off to.

"What's going?" Caleb asked. He looked at his mother, and the two of them shared the same expression. He wanted to ask her, but couldn't bring himself to.

"Where did Alex go?" Delilah asked from the back seat. She looked back and forth from Caleb to Esme, who continued to stare at one another.

There was suddenly a scream from up the driveway and Esme floored the gas pedal, rounding the bends of the driveway through the trees.

"Should I-" Caleb started, but Esme slammed the brakes and he jolted forward slightly, then looked at her with a surprised expression, knowing his mother wasn't at all reckless behind the wheel. He turned his gaze to where hers fell and his jaw dropped.

Esme couldn't fully comprehend all that happened next. At some point she must have put the car in park and left the vehicle completely, but she couldn't remember doing it. Her stare never broke from up ahead, and she couldn't even make out where Caleb stood, or walked. She didn't know if he was beside her or behind her, but she was confident he was there.

Michael stood about a hundred feet in front of where Esme had parked the car with his hands on his hips. He was smiling, but looked awe-struck then looked at Esme with a sincere, happy expression. Next to him, Alex cried and had her arms around her father, and Alice stood next to them with the guiltiest of expressions.

Esme stood frozen in place for a moment. She didn't believe what she was seeing. She couldn't believe it, because if it wasn't real she would have to deal with the heartache of the situation again.

Carlisle had his back to her, but she knew it was him. She could sense it. She knew every part of his body, every fabric of every shirt, every hair on his head. She didn't have to see his face, and from the way Alex clung to him and balled, she knew it was true.

"Daddy," Alex continued to cry, saying his name as if she was just a little kid again.

"I'm sorry Alex," he said to her emotionally, "I'm sorry we put you through all this. It was the only thing we could do."

Caleb ran past where Esme stood, and nearly tackled Alice, immediately falling into a heap of emotional laughter and she swung her around and held onto her so tight that it appeared as if her tiny body would break. He then began to cry amidst the emotional laughter and continued to keep her close until he and Alex traded places.

"Alice!" Alex said, still crying. She managed to laugh as her brother did, "How is this possible?"

"I'll explain everything," Alice said quietly, "I promise. I'm so sorry we had to put you all through this, but I promise you it was for good reason."

"Dad," Caleb continued his back and forth emotions, "How are you guys... here?" He pulled back and Carlisle dried his son's face, knowing his own looked similarly.

"We had to," he said, "Or a number of us would have died."

"I'll give everyone the full explanation they deserve," Alice said, still holding Alex tightly. It felt so good for all of them to be able to hug and hold each other again.

Carlisle turned around, seeing Esme's face in her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably where she stood. She still couldn't move, too paralyzed by fear that the moment could end on a whim by the chance that it was a sort of torturous daydream. He ran up to her and put his arms around her and Esme buried her face into his shoulder and hugged him harder than she ever had.

She made no attempt to even remotely silence her cries, as she let out everything she had been feeling into the warmth of her husband as he continually apologized to her throughout her breakdown.

Carlisle held her against him, feeling rejuvenated from her touch, though knew he was selfish for feeling the relief he felt from being in her arms because of all that Esme had to go through in believing he was dead. It was something he knew would literally take an eternity to make up for, but he intended to start doing it that day.

Esme welcoming the stinging sensation in her eyes, as she began to accept that her happy tears were a reality; that Carlisle was really standing with her in his arms. She finally managed to control herself enough to pull her head away from his chest to look up at his face. She traced his jawline and ran a hand through his hair, then traced her thumb gently across his lips.

"Esme," he said, shaking his head, "I'm so sorry. I would never have done this if-"

"I don't care," she told him, feeling the heavy shake in her voice as her tears failed to subside, "I don't care, Carlisle. I love you. I love you. I can't let myself believe this is real yet."

"It's real," he assured her, using his thumbs to try drying under her eyes.

Esme ran her hands down his shoulders and arms, then wrapped them back around him and looked up at him again, continued to cry. She shook her head. "I love you. I never thought I would ever..." She shook her head again.

Carlisle leaned down and kissed her firmly and Esme closed her eyes. The waiting tears fell down her face, and she couldn't even properly kiss him back. She was too emotional.

"I love you too," he told her, "I'm sorry."

Esme sighed and laid her face up against his chest again and held him tightly against her. Carlisle continued to apologize, stroking Esme's back and running his hands through her hair as they stood in the driveway of their home in Forks.

She let herself enjoy the moment, wanting to go speak with Alice, but unable to pull herself away from Carlisle. She knew it was true; that he was alive, that they both were. She didn't care what their explanations were. All she cared about was that Alice was okay, and that she was back in Carlisle's arms.


	38. Initial Expanation

**Chapter 38**

Edward pulled his car up the driveway, coming to where Esme had left the Mercedes halfway up.

"Why'd they leave the car here?" he wondered aloud, throwing his Volvo into park.

Bella looked at him, already knowing what was to come. Holding in the secret that Carlisle and Alice had filled her in on was something that was excruciatingly challenging. They had only told her because her mind was obviously safe from Aro, and if Esme, Jasper or anyone else had wanted to make a rash decision, she could be there to fill them in on what had really happened as a last resort.

Edward suddenly burst out of the car, making his way toward the house and Bella chased after him. When the two of them emerged into the area near the house where everyone stood, he froze in a similar way that Esme had and stared with disbelief.

Esme still clung to Carlisle, though had one hand on the curve of Alice's face. The kids all stood close to everyone, and their faces were illuminated with joy and decorated with tears.

Alice's eyes made their way to Edward first, and saw the immediate combination of hurt and happiness. She had seen that he would be one of the hardest to accept the decisions that she and Carlisle had made.

He didn't speak a word, but his heavy heart had instantly begun to heal. Esme's body language alone was enough for him to forgive the two of them, but he had witnessed first hand the unimaginable grief that his mother and brother had gone through. It had been unbearable to watch.

"Edward," Alice spoke softly. She had an apologetic ring in her voice and looked at him with hopes of forgiveness.

Edward read every thought that passed through her mind. He could feel how sorry she was for putting them through the agony for the past two weeks. Carlisle's thoughts were haywire and torn. He could see how horrible he felt.

"How could I have not known about this?" he asked them. "Your plan..."

Alex's mind seemed to catch up at the same time. She looked at Alice, "You asked me to block out his thoughts."

Alice nodded, "I thought if it was truly meant to be this way and it was what was needed, then it would work... and it did."

Edward played with the bits and pieces of the plan in Alice's mind, as Carlisle's thoughts were still all over the place, unable to stay on parts of the plan they had carried out.

"You would have died Edward," Alice told him, "And Carlisle would have, and Emmett..."

"You have no idea what Esme and Jasper and all the kids have been going through," Edward said, "Not to mention the rest of us."

"I know," Alice said, "I saw it all in advance, but I also saw the alternative where it was all real... and that was much, much worse."

"Edward," Bella said, "I knew."

"What?" he asked, drawing looks from everyone but Carlisle and Alice.

"I knew," she repeated, "Because Alice knew my mind would be safe with Aro. She told me in case anyone tried to do anything to put themselves in danger, or if something changed. The reason why it carried on for so long is because they knew Aro would be back to check in, and when everyone's thoughts were all showing the same thing, he would truly believe that the two of them were dead."

Edward stared at Bella with disbelief, and couldn't hold back the fact that he was somewhat angry.

"Edward," Carlisle said, "I know this was a terrible thing to lead on, but in every other scenario she could see, at least two or three members of this family would have been really dead."

"I had to destroy Carlisle's phone because he kept contemplating calling Esme," Alice said.

Esme looked up at Carlisle and leaned into him again, smiling for a half-second at the thought, but quickly got wrapped up in her emotions again.

"And I knew when Aro thought that we were dead," Alice went on, "That he would return to Italy and leave everyone alone. He saw it as a victory, even though they lost Demetri. If Carlisle had stayed after he killed Demetri, he would have been killed by Jane and Felix. I saw it so many times and I couldn't let that happen," she shook her head, "And he wasn't the only one. Bella would have lost you too Edward."

He softened his expression a bit, and Bella nodded, then apologized to him. "I'm sorry Edward," she said, then looked at Esme and the rest of them, "I'm sorry I lied to everyone, but I knew... I knew it was for the best."

Alex leaned into her father and he used his free arm to sling around her shoulders before kissing her temple. "I think we should all be thanking you then," she said, "Because this would have been unbearable if it was real." She looked at Alice and Carlisle, "I don't know what any of us would have done with you," then back to her father, "Mom needs you."

Edward looked at Bella and she mouthed the words, "I'm sorry," to him again.

A smile crossed his face and hugged her tightly, then finally made his way to Alice and held her against him. She began to laugh and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for caring little brother."

"Little?" he asked, then smirked at her.

Esme let go of Carlisle for the first time as he joined Edward in a quick embrace.

"I'm sorry," Carlisle said apologetically again. He didn't continue his explanation, as he knew Edward could read his thoughts that could more accurately get the point across.

Edward continued to hug him and patted him on the back in the process. "I'm just glad that you're okay."

Carlisle patted him and nodded.

"And start making this up to Esme," he said, "You can't imagine..."

When they pulled away he saw the guilt and pain over the decision in Carlisle's eyes. Edward looked over toward Alice, "And Jasper too."

"He should be here in a half hour," she said.

"We should call him," Carlisle told her.

Alice thought for a moment, "I'm going to meet him," she said. Before anyone could say another word, she took off running.

"Masen's close," Edward said, "I can hear his thoughts." A smile crossed over his face, "He just saw Alice."

Esme looked at Carlisle, "What more is there to the story?" she asked.

He sighed and linked back up with her, securing a hand on her hip next to him as if he never intended to let her go again. "Alice could see that it was the only way we'd all survive, and the only way that Aro would leave us alone." Carlisle looked her in the eye, "He needed to see everyone's grief. I only went along with it because there was no other choice. Alice saved my life by coming up with the plan. She saved Edward's and Emmett's."

Masen, Leah and Cassie all ran up in their direction, having parked behind the other two cars and held the same stunned expressions as the rest of their family had.

Cassie was the first to run up, more or less tackling Carlisle before the other two did the same, drawing similar reactions.

"Dad," Masen gushed, "You're alive."  
Leah looked at Esme with teary eyes and they both began to cry again together.

Carlisle hugged his son, then kept a comforting hand on Esme's back until she parted from Leah.

"And did I just pass Alice running?" he asked.

"She's alive," Carlisle told him.

A loud laugh left his mouth and he ran his hands through his hair and looked all around with wondrous eyes. "Aren't you going to give us some kind of explanation?"

"Yeah..." Leah said, wiping tears away.

Carlisle nodded, and pulled his son in for second hug, then did the same with Leah.

"Why don't we go inside and talk," he suggested.

Masen and Alex shared a quick smile, then he went over and hugged Caleb, who also began to shed tears again.

"That sounds good to me," Alex said, "Back to our real home."

Carlisle nodded, "Yeah."

Edward looked at him and a smiled formed on his face. He patted Carlisle on the back again and linked hands with Bella.

Esme pulled Carlisle back for a moment as they all began to filter into the house. She finally began to let the initial numbness wear off and so she reached up and pulled him forcefully to her by the collar of his shirt, planting her lips against his.

Carlisle returned the gesture, kissing her with the same whole-hearted enthusiasm and passion.

"I love you Carlisle," she told him.

"I love you," he told her, letting his eyes flicker open, "I'm sorry. I'll never put you through something like this again."


	39. One Spoken Word

**Chapter 39**

Jasper sat in the front seat of Rosalie's car, having said nothing on the ride from Minnesota. They hadn't separated from Emmett, who drove just behind the in the U-Haul. Nicole sat next to Maddy in the back seat of the car and Willaim sat behind Jasper. Mackenzie took the ride with her father.

Rosalie reached over and put a hand over Jasper's as the sign that welcomed them to Forks came into view. He didn't look over or acknowledge the touch. He looked out the window as the surroundings grew darker and rain began to pelt the windows, sending streaky droplets down the glass.

"Jasper..." Rosalie started to say, though let his name drift off the end of her lips.

He finally turned and looked at her, before the only word he spoke on the entire trip left his mouth. "Alice."

Nicole sprung up from where she sat and Rosalie slammed on the breaks, causing Emmett to send the truck reeling back and forth behind them to avoiding rear-ending the Jeep.

Rosalie and Jasper stared at each other for a moment before he jumped out of the car and began running towards the woods that headed in the general direction of their house.

Emmett popped out of the truck, alarmed at first, but Rosalie's smile calmed him down and he sensed her.

"Alice?" he asked with a face full of bewilderment.

"I think so," Rosalie said to him, looking over her shoulder as the kids all joined them in the rain on the side of the street.

Jasper knew he wasn't wrong. He knew he was tracing Alice's scent and it was getting stronger, rapidly approaching where he ran. "Alice!" he called out, "Alice!" He stopped and looked around, then was hit head on, sprawling to the ground on his back.

When he opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Alice's eyes stared down at him and she smiled, yet looked remorseful and responsible all the same.

"Alice," Jasper said again. He couldn't bring himself to say anything else. His hand drifted up toward her face and he brought her lips to his to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

Alice kissed him back, then looked deep into his eyes as they parted. "I'm sorry I did this to you Jas. I could see it all happening. It was the only way to save Carlisle, Edward and Emmett."

"Carlisle?" he asked.

"He's alive," she explained, playing with his hair.

Jasper's face remained stone-like, as he was yet to accept and come to terms with the greatest surprise in his life. The whole ride he had been contemplating how to kill each and every Volturi member while simultaneously coming up with strategies that he could use to attempt to survive without Alice. She was his rock; she was his everything, and he knew he needed her to make it.

He stared up at her, looking at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. He could break his stare, or disconnect his eyes from hers.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, seeing the tears forming in his eyes. He was so strong, and she regretted bringing him to such an emotional breaking point.

"I can't believe this is real," he told her, speaking quietly back.

Alice kissed him again, reassuring him that it was.

"I couldn't have done this without you Alice."

"You could have," she said, playing with his hair again, "But you won't have to. I'm sorry."

Jasper managed to give her a half-smile, but he quickly kept a straight face again. "I love you Alice."

"How can I make this up to you Jas?"

"You already have," he told her, "Just by being here."

The rest of them caught up with them, and Nicole was the first to run up to Alice. Rosalie and Emmett stood in shock with smiles, as did their children and Maddy.

Alice stood up and caught her daughter as she ran into her arms.

"Mom," she said joyfully in an excited whisper.

"Nicky," Alice said, squeezing her daughter, "Thank you for being so strong honey."

"How are you alive? Everyone said-"

"I'll explain everything. I'm so sorry Nicole."

"It's okay," her daughter replied, "I can't believe you're here." Nicole's words ran with the same parallels as everyone else's. Emmett snickered and smirked and ran to pull Jasper up off the ground, who looked like he was still shell-shocked.

"Sis..." Emmett said, picking her up off the ground. When Alice attempted to explain, he cut her off. "I don't care what the reason is."

Jasper continued to stare at Alice in a way that was indescribable. Inside he wanted to smile and laugh and twirl her around the way Emmett had, and have a happy reunion. He knew that time would come, but he was still too consumed with the lingering sadness that he could do any of those things. All Jasper could do was stare and admire his wife upon thinking she was dead for what felt like an eternity.

Alice approached Rosalie, who began to cry as she hugged her sister. "Rosalie, I promise you this was all done to preserve the lives of our family members. I know how selfish this looks, but there was no other alternative."

"What about Carlisle?" Emmett asked.

"He's alive."

Rosalie pulled back and wiped her tears. She began to laugh while continuing to cry, "You guys owe us all big time."

"I know," Alice said with a smile.

"Big time," Rosalie repeated. She hugged Alice hard again and cradled her head with the back of her hand.

Emmett pulled out his phone, "I have to call Esme."

"She knows," Alice said, attempting to look in his direction, though Rosalie still held her close.

"Oh, I would have slapped Emmett right across the face if he did this to me," Rosalie said, making Alice laugh.

"No you wouldn't have," he said with a laugh, looking at Jasper as he continued to stare.

"Yes I would have," she said with another laugh.

"I'm sorry Rosalie," Alice told her again, "We knew that this would take a toll on everyone," her eyes drifted to Jasper's again, "But the alternatives would have been much worse... and permanent." She made her way back over to Jasper who immediately took her into his arms, closing his eyes as he engulfed her scent.

Alice reached over and grabbed Nicole, pulling her into the hug with them.

Emmett and Rosalie made eye contact and shared a smile. He winked at her and walked over to get her a kiss.

William, Maddy and Mackenzie all took turns welcoming Alice back, all just as happy and eager to see her as the rest of them.

"Where's everyone else?" Emmett asked.

"Home," Alice told him, feeling Jasper's hand reactively grasp hers tighter.

He grinned, "Let's go home."


	40. The Whole Story

**Chapter 40**

The two halves of the Cullen family conjoined when the rest of their family walked through the door. The house was nearly empty, with only a few leftover pieces of furniture still in the house from when they'd left. Their footsteps and voices echoed off the walls, even more so when everyone began to greet one another.

"Uh-oh," Nicole said quietly with a laugh. Her eyes were still teary and Emmett looked over at her.

"What?" he asked, nudging her as he did.

She pointed as Rosalie approached Carlisle, who stood in between Esme and Leah.

"Carlisle," she said, holding her arms out like she was about to hug him.

He stepped forward, completely shocked when Rosalie slapped him hard across the face before bringing him in for a long hug and then kissing him on the cheek where she'd slapped him.

Esme looked over at Masen, who stood on the other side of Leah and he began to break down in a fit of laughter.

Carlisle's eyes met Emmett's and the two of them shared a smile.

"I knew Esme wouldn't do it," Rosalie told him, "So that's for putting us all through hell for two weeks." She let out a relieved sigh into his shoulder and didn't pull away. "We were lost without you," she admitted.

"I'm sorry Rosalie," he told her.

"It's okay," she assured him, taking another deep breath.

Behind where they stood, Leah still tried to hold back her laughter upon Rosalie's abrupt slap. Rosalie made eye contact with her for a moment and smiled. "Sorry about the love tap," she told him.

Carlisle grinned, thinking he got off rather easily as far as what Rosalie's temperament could have allowed her to do. "That's alright. I think it was deserved."

Edward approached where they stood and held out Carlisle's ring and cross, "Did you guys plant these?"

Jasper reached in the pocket of his jeans and removed Alice's necklace upon seeing Edward do the same.

Carlisle looked at Alice and she nodded. "It was my idea," she confessed, "I knew that would give Aro the images he needed to see."

"Can we all sit down and get the whole story?" Emmett asked, looking back and forth between Carlisle and Alice.

"Yes," they both said at the same time.

Alice went to reposition herself but Jasper failed to release her hand. She kept him close, remaining where she stood and Carlisle towed Esme by the hand so they stood next to him.

"So..." Alice said taking a deep breath. She looked at Carlisle for a moment, "I saw lots of terrible things in my visions. If we stayed in Minnesota, the Volturi would have ambushed us and I'm going to be bluntly honest here, Emmett, Carlisle and Edward all would have fallen, along with just one of their coven."

Rosalie looked over at Emmett and Bella cuddled herself closer to Edward.

"When Nicole saw the outcomes for Montana," she went on, "They weren't much better. I tried changing my mind on several things and every single scenario that could be seen ended in death."

Nicole nodded as confirmation, "I saw it."

"How come you couldn't see Carlisle and Alice being okay?" Emmett asked her.

Nicole shrugged, "I saw the image of their jewelry in the ashes, but I never saw them leave the reservation."

"That's because you can't see anything if there aren't wolves present," Alice said.

Emmett nodded, catching up to what they were saying.

"I convinced Carlisle to go into the this plan with me because in every scenario otherwise, he would have died," Alice said. She gave Esme a look of sympathy, "And I knew that Aro would be able to see the plans I was coming up with if I stayed, so that's why Carlisle and I faked our deaths. We told Bella because her mind was safe from Aro, and I wanted to make sure that someone else knew and could break the news to Jasper or Esme, or anyone if they decided to do something... irrational."

"Did you really kill Demetri?" Emmett asked Carlisle.

He nodded, "Yes, and then we left. The fight was more or less over at that point from what I understand."

"If Carlisle didn't kill Demetri, he would have gotten to Esme," Alice said.

Esme looked at Carlisle, finally making sense of his words of blind faith and apologies before the fight occurred. She knew he would never deceive her, and the fact that he and Alice were forced to caused him a tremendous amount of guilt.

Carlisle looked back at her and she placed her other hand over his, as he kept his fingers linked with hers. She could tell he wanted to continue apologizing, but she wanted to tell him there was no reason to.

"And we saw that despite Esme's stress," Alice said, "There would be no harm to the baby, but all of these high emotions and excitement will cause you to go into labor a few days earlier than expected."

Esme raised her eyebrows and looked down toward her stomach.

"Which I think means by the weekend the baby will be here."

"That's less than a week from now," she said.

"Yeah," Alice told her with a nod, "I guess we're just in time, right?"

Esme nodded and smiled, sighing from the relief that she was still experiencing as the moment sunk in as a true reality for the first time.

"I have a confession to make," Jasper said. He looked at Alice and she already knew what he was going to say. The thought popped into his mind for the first time since returning to the house, and Edward knew a second or two in advance what he was about to say. "I killed Felix."

Everyone's eyes moved in Jasper's direction, all in shock aside from those who witnessed and participated in the justified attack.

"What?" Esme asked.

Carlisle looked at Alice, who nodded.

"I know," she said.

Bella looked over at Edward and her mouth hung open.

"He didn't die in the fight," Masen stated, though it sounded more like a question.

"No," Rosalie told them, "He came back before we left the other house. We were the last ones in the driveway."

Caleb and Delilah looked at each other, and then to Alex and Michael who looked equally shocked.

"He burned Alice's car," Jasper said through gritted teeth, reliving the comments that Felix had made, "And then he made a comment about Alice and turned his back so I..."

"You did what was right," Emmett finished his sentence.

"It was justified," Rosalie added.

"Why was Felix there?" Carlisle asked.

"Checking in on us for Aro," Jasper told him, "Or so he said. He was alone."

"And overconfident," Rosalie told them, "He said Aro told him we couldn't touch him. He honestly did think he was in any danger."

Edward looked at Alice and managed a laugh at what she was thinking. She smiled at him and everyone looked at the exchange between the two of them despite the serious nature of the conversation at hand.

"What?" Carlisle asked them.

Edward shook his head, "Nothing."

"What?" Rosalie asked, "No more secrets." She looked at Alice.

He sighed, "Fine," Edward said, "I just laughed because Alice was just thinking how much she loved that car."

Emmett and William both smirked and made eye-contact.

"Anyway," Alice said, still grinning. "The Volturi won't suspect that we had anything to do with Felix's death... not really anyway."

"How is that possible?" Jasper asked her, "He said Aro sent him to keep a tab on us."

She sighed and looked around at everyone, "Word spread about what happened," she told them, "And there were a lot of people who didn't like it."

Carlisle's attention was on Alice, as he hadn't heard this part of the story. She looked directly at him.

"Benjamin set fire to their house," Alice explained, "And then he, Tia and the Irish coven left Italy. The Romanians stayed and took their part in destroying the place."

"Vladimir and Stefan?" Carlisle asked aloud, already knowing that's who she was referring to.

She nodded, "Yes. They wanted the revenge they had been waiting for, for centuries. They didn't care what the consequences would be, and they weren't lying when they vowed not to speak of Benjamin's involvement."

Everyone stared at one another, not knowing what to say.

"Their focus is completely off of us," Alice said, "That was the point of the whole plan we carried out. Ultimately, they attacked us because they wanted people to stop attacking their coven. In reality, they got the opposite of that, but now are going to go in a different direction. I can't tell yet if the Romanians made it out of there alive, but like I said, the Volturi have put us on the backburner because they think you're all in mourning and are convinced that Carlisle and I are dead."

"What will happen if they come back?" Esme asked.

"They won't," Alice said, "Not now anyway. And they're two of their stronger men down. Felix and Demetri are gone. Alec is gone. They've taken a huge hit, and we still have everyone. Others are acting out against them. Their coven is in turmoil and it's going to take time for them to cope and come up with a plan to regain their power."

For a minute or so, no one spoke. Everyone just sat engulfed in their thoughts.

Emmett finally smiled and looked up at his sister, "You're an evil genius."

Alice smiled, "I'm not one to pay myself on the back, but I think I calculated this one just right."

"At the expense of your mate's sanity," Rosalie said, smirking and winking at Jasper, finally drawing a closed-mouth smile out of him.

Alice turned to Jasper, "I hope I can make it up to him."

Jasper breathed in deeply, letting his chest rise and fall, then smiled directly at her. "I told you, you already have."

"So, we're definitely okay?" Esme asked.

Alice turned to her and turned to press her back up against Jasper's chest as he draped his arm around her from behind. She linked her fingers with his. "We're definitely okay," she assured her, "Time to start concentrating on baby names."


	41. Home Again

**Chapter 41**

The trucks were unloaded and within a day, all of the Cullens' furniture was back in its original places prior to their move to Minnesota. Things quite literally looked as if they hadn't even left. Alex and Michael, while wanting to go check out their own house, didn't have it in them to part from the family. Masen, Leah and Cassandra, too, were at the house constantly since they'd return, along with Renesme and Jacob.

Bella had taken some half-hearted flack for managing to keep Alice's secret plan so well, particularly from Rosalie, yet they completely understood why she had done what she did. While Bella was initially afraid to see Edward's reaction to her selfless moment of betrayal, she could see he was far too happy to have their family members back, and had been actually over affectionate rather than moody and closed-off.

Upon the conclusion of putting the house back together and re-styling a bit, Alice and Jasper had politely excused themselves from their family, vowing to return the day Esme delivered her baby. No one asked questions, knowing they had some catching up to do, and Emmett's jokes upon their absence helped to lighten the mood. Nicole had decided to begin a painting project, finding the perfect photo of her parents and found a permanent spot in the corner of her room to try to complete the picture before the two of them returned. It was a hobby of hers that she hadn't gotten the opportunity to practice much, and she thought it was the perfect time to pick it back up.

Carlisle had shared his time with all of his children and Esme. He could see that the lingering shock and feelings of crushing anxiety still hadn't left. Alex had been making every excuse in the book not to return to her house with Michael. Masen dropped in on his shifts on occasion, despite the fact that he could get in trouble. Renesme and Jacob stuck around so Renesme could "bake" every day with Esme and Rosalie. Caleb wasn't distant and cooped with Delilah all day as he had been at their old house.

Throughout the next couple of days, their family spent lots of quality time together and the situation, no matter how terrible at the time, had instilled an ever deeper connection between everybody. Even Rosalie had apologized on several occasions for the slap she'd given Carlisle, which he laughed over each time.

A fire was going strong, despite the conclusion of the third movie in a row that most of them had stayed to watch.

"More wood?" Emmett asked, looking around.

"Sure," Rosalie shrugged, "I'll go help you get some." She winked in his direction and he smiled, knowing their kids didn't see her gesture as her back was to them.

Esme glanced over at Carlisle and he smirked, noticing Alex beginning to stand up.

"Well," she said, "I'm going to just go check out the house you guys bought for us. Masen said it's super dusty."

"Okay," Esme said with a nod.

"But we'll be back in less than an hour." Her eyes landed on Caleb, then William, "Especially if I get some help cleaning the place up." She nudged her foot against her brother's and he smiled.

"Aright," he agreed without a fight. Delilah stood up with him.

"Don't start the next movie without us," Alex told them with a smile.

"I think we have some Law & Order on," Esme said, "So think of what you want to watch when you get back."

She nodded and went over, giving each of her parents a hug before the parade of kids wandered out the front door.

Carlisle turned back to Esme when the door shut, "Things getting back to normal?" he asked.

"Gradually," she told him with a nod. She couldn't help the look she knew she was giving him. Her mind and her heart hadn't quite let her believe that this was reality yet.

He leaned over and kissed her once, then turned his attention to the baby. "We need to come up with a name."

Esme sighed, "Yeah. I wonder if it's going to be a boy or a girl."

Carlisle looked her in the eye and a smile spread across his face.

"Do you already know?" she asked him, smiling back.

He shrugged, then nodded.

"Alice?"

"Yeah," he told her. "But if you don't want to know, I won't tell you."

Esme had wanted the gender of their child to be a surprise, but now she was anxious and almost needed to know. "Tell me." A smile still clung to her face.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Uh, well," Carlisle pulled the blanket that they'd thrown across them down so her belly was in plain sight. "It's a boy."

"Really?" she asked him with a laugh. "Really?"

He nodded and Esme continued to laugh, putting one hand on her stomach and the other around him. They shared a few more kisses and Esme held herself against Carlisle, rubbing his back as she did.

"Are you happy?" he asked her, not parting from their embrace.

"Yes," she said right away with another laugh, "I'm so happy. Wow. Another boy. Alex is going to be severely outnumbered."

Carlisle nodded and laughed, "She said it would make her tougher."

"She knows?"

He nodded again.

Esme pulled back so they were eye to eye, still grinning as tears formed but never fell. She brought her lips to his again.

Carlisle could tell there were still more emotions that his wife had yet to let out onto the table. She'd cried when they first got back together, and when greeting Alice, but he had noticed a number of times that Esme was close to tears again but held them back. He didn't want to push her to let it all out, as he sensed that would happen on its own in time.

"We really need to start thinking of names," she told him. "It's been two days since Alice said I'd be having him soon. We can't bring him into this world without a name."

Carlisle smiled, "We have all night to think about it."

Esme looked into his perfectly golden eyes. She felt like a teenager, unable to keep her lips parted from his. It was as if she was reliving their first days together again.

Carlisle closed his eyes, whole-heartedly welcoming all of the affection that Esme kept throwing his way. He felt happy when she giddy, almost so giddy that she could cry from the overjoyed feeling.

"God, I missed you," she said, breathing her words into his mouth.

"I missed you too," he told her, pulling her lips back against his.

Emmett whistled as he and Rosalie returned with arms of firewood and Esme began to laugh, parting from Carlisle as they headed over to the fireplace.

"Where'd the kids go?" Rosalie asked. She smiled, "Kick 'em out?"

Esme laughed, "No. They all decided to have a cleaning party over at Alex's. They should be back in an hour or less."

"We finding ourselves another movie or what?" Emmett asked them.

"Pick one," Esme told him with a grin.

"Do you need to hunt?" Carlisle asked her.

She shook her head, revealing to him her perfect, amber eyes that matched his. "I'll let you know."

Rosalie smiled at them, feeling relieved to have their family back together. The movies, the jokes and the happy demeanor would slowly, but surely, return permanently to their home.

"It's good to be back," she said.


	42. A Meaningful Modern Notion

**Chapter 42**

Esme had been thinking of baby names, putting most of her downtime into thinking about it. She had begun to feel more pressure in her mid section and the baby hadn't settled down at all the following day.

Carlisle had only left her briefly to hunt something down for both of them, and she continually looked out the window until she finally saw him emerge with his hands covered in blood and several bottles filled.

She smiled, almost irritated at herself for the sudden urge to cry every time he came into her view after being gone for just a short period of time.

_If that's the worst of my problems,_ she thought, _I'll take it._

"So," Rosalie entered the bedroom breaking Esme's thoughts. She scooted over on the bed to make room for her, tossing a baby book to the side. "Have you decided yet?"

Esme nodded, "I have a good idea."

"What's his name going to be?" she placed her ear lightly over Esme's stomach and giggled when the baby moved. "Stay in there for one more day," Rosalie told him.

Esme laughed, "Or just come out now," she said lightly.

Rosalie laughed again, "What's his name?"

"Marshall."

She thought for a moment, "That was the name of the town we lived in in Minnesota."

Esme nodded, "I have been going back and forth with names, and meanings..." she shrugged.

"Oh!" Rosalie nodded, "It's where he was conceived. I got it."

She laughed, "Is that really... stupid?"

"No," she said with a laugh, "David and Victoria Beckham did it." Rosalie shrugged, "I suppose it's a modern notion."

"Do you think Carlisle will like it?"

Rosalie was about to answer when Carlisle came into the room, "I'm sure I'll love whatever it is you're talking about." He gave them a smile and winked at Esme before going to wash his hands in the bathroom.

"You're making me hungry," Rosalie told him.

"There's plenty to go around," he told her, turning on the faucet and drying the bottles off with a towel when they were ridded of the blood on the exterior.

"Thick, red Gatorade," Rosalie joked as he handed her the Gatorade bottle filled with deer's blood. She passed it over to Esme, who got out of bed so she wouldn't ruin the sheets if she spilled any of it.

"What were you talking about?" Carlisle asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Baby names," Rosalie told him, then looked at Esme.

"Do you have one in mind?" he asked her.

Esme nodded, "What do you think of Marshall?"

Carlisle thought for a minute, "Marshall as in Marshall, Minnesota?"

"Yeah."

A smile spread across his face, "That's perfect."

"Are you sure you like it?"

"I love it," he told her.

"Yay!" Rosalie clapped her hands, "Is this official?"

The two of them looked at each other and Esme shrugged, then nodded as Carlisle's body language indicated that he agreed.

"Can I tell everybody?" she asked them.

Esme laughed, "Yeah." Her hand moved to the lower part of her stomach and she began to drink the blood, guzzling it down once she started.

Carlisle snickered, and Esme made her way into the bathroom where the other bottle still sat, finishing that one off too before washing up in the sink. She used one of the plastic cups that were stacked by the faucet to swish some water around in her mouth to get the color off of her teeth until they were pearly white again.

He rounded in behind her and place his hands on either side of her, grasping the sink lightly with each hand. He put his chin on her shoulder and looked in the mirror, glancing at the image of the two of them. Esme's back pressed against his chest as he cuddled himself close to her.

"You're so beautiful," he told her, catching her eye with his own in the reflection. His hand slipped off the marble vanity and he replaced it on her stomach.

"Do you honestly like the name?" she asked him.

Carlisle nodded and turned to kiss her on the cheek before looking back into the mirror. "We'll always remember where he came from," he told her with a smile. "It's a good thing he wasn't conceived in Forks. That would have been an awkward name."

Esme began to laugh lightly, "Yeah. I'm sure he'd be the center of everyone's jokes if his name was Forks."

Carlisle laughed again and looked down, then turned toward her at the same time she turned to him.

Esme repositioned herself so her back was against the sink and Carlisle took her face lightly in his hands. They looked at each other for a moment, until she smiled and moved her lips against his. He kept his hands on her face and the two of them stayed locked in the embrace for several seconds until Carlisle took the time to say their child's name out loud.

"Marshall Cullen," he said.

"Another one to worry about."

He laughed, "Are you happy?"

"Yes," she told him without looking away. "I'm excited."

"Good." Carlisle leaned in and kissed her again and Esme moved from slight discomfort when the baby moved, then smiled again as he repositioned himself.

"He's ready," she said.

"I think I better get the room set up."

Esme nodded and began to follow him out.

"Stay," he told her, motioning toward the bed, "Lay down. Rest."

"Alright," she said with a nod, more than eager to get back to the bed to lay down.

Carlisle walked across the room with her and tucked her in under the covers. "There's a scary movie marathon on or something tonight," he told her with a chuckle as he handed her the remote.

"I don't think I can handle scary alone," she teased.

He bent down and kissed her several times, each time thinking he would leave though he couldn't bring himself to.

Esme began to laugh when he didn't stop giving her playful kisses and he finally pulled himself up and looked at the screen.

"I'll be back to watch them with you," he told her, "Give me about forty-five minutes to set up the room."

"Deal," she told him, holding her hand out.

Carlisle laughed and moved past her hand to give her another kiss. "I love you."

"I love you more."

He shook his head and gave her another wink.

"Go set that room up doctor."


	43. A Few Hours Early

**Chapter 43**

Esme got increasingly uncomfortable as the night went on. She tried to hide every little twist or turn the baby forced her to make, but Carlisle knew when things weren't quite right. He kept looking over at Esme as they watched television together in their room throughout the night and finally stood up when he saw the slightly painful look on her face.

"Come on," he said, holding out his hand.

Esme looked at him and kept her hands on her stomach, as she laid flat on her back. "It's fine. Alice said he won't be here until the morning."

Carlisle's eyes looked at the clock, which stood between two and three a.m. A smile crossed his face as he looked back to his wife, "It is the morning."

"I mean the morning-morning. When the sun's up and..." She sighed and took in a deep breath.

"Esme," he persisted, still smiling.

"Okay," she breathed in heavily a few times through her nose, then nodded, "Yeah, I think you're right."

Carlisle helped her out of bed and he began their walk to the room he set up. "Are you okay?"

Esme nodded, "Yeah." Her hand clung to her stomach and the other was linked in through Carlisle's arm.

Alice and Jasper had just arrived back home after their few days away together, and were greeted at the door by Nicole and Rosalie.

Masen was the first to make his way into the room, having spent the night knowing his mother was so close to going into labor. He heard their conversation and the discomfort in her voice, so he decided to start using his gift.

"Oh, thank God," Esme said with a slightly painful laugh as she saw her son.

He laughed and looked at Carlisle, who couldn't help but smile.

Esme took a deep breath as Carlisle helped her get comfortable, then closed her eyes for a moment. He touched her face gently, causing her eyes to flicker back open and kissed her once. "You're going to be fine."

She smiled and nodded, "I know."

Masen was happy to see his mother brought back to life upon Carlisle's return, and he eagerly grabbed her hand, sending a rush of relief to Esme's face. She sighed and looked at her son, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Caleb and Alex both made their way into the room and Esme waved to them.

"Want us to wait outside?" Caleb asked.

Masen chuckled, seeing his brother was a little taken back by the whole thing. He didn't appear as though he wanted to be in the room when the baby was delivered.

"Whatever you want to do," Esme told them with a smile.

"Everyone else knows," Alex said, "They're in the next room."

Esme smiled again and nodded.

"We'll give you your space," her daughter said with a smile, "But we'll be the first back in when we hear crying."

"Can you ask Rosalie or Edward to-" Carlisle started to ask, but Rosalie was in the room before he could finish.

"Ready to work if you need me," she told him with a smile.

Carlisle grinned and nodded, "Thank you." He finished setting up everything and when he got to Esme, he almost looked shocked. "This isn't going to take long," he told her, placing his hand over hers, "Are you ready?"

Esme looked into his eyes and nodded. She could see that he had gone from husband to doctor in a matter of seconds, and was fully prepared to the deliver the baby.

Rosalie stood just behind him in case he needed her, and he looked fully focused and concentrated.

"You okay Mom?" Masen asked, standing by her side with his hand linked in hers.

She nodded and began to listen to Carlisle's commands as he guided her through the process. Rosalie encouraged her in the process, eventually moving up to the head of the bed on the opposite side of Masen to hold Esme's other hand.

"Do you feel anything?" Rosalie asked, as she pushed along with her husband's calls to.

"A little," she managed to choke out, though kept doing what she was doing.

For Esme, it felt like hours, though the entire ordeal last less than twenty-five minutes. She felt her impatience begin to rise with her level of discomfort, though there was no pain, as Masen made sure she was alright.

A heavy breath left her nose and mouth and she looked down toward Carlisle, saying his name once like a question as if to ask, _when is this going to end?_

"You're almost there," he assured her with a positive ring in his voice, "One or two more for me."

Esme took in a deep breath and continued do as he asked, feeling as if she was getting nowhere until she finally heard his cries and felt the uncomfortable feelings subside.

Masen kept a hold of her hand, but Rosalie joined Carlisle and had the same big smile on her face that she had upon seeing each of the children for the first time.

Carlisle sat back in the chair and held the baby in his arms, smiling as he did. He looked around for a towel and Rosalie handed him one as he cleaned him off a little before wrapping him in it.

Esme laid flat down on the pillow, and Masen looked at her for a moment before Carlisle stood up, visibly choked up and handed their son over gently.

"He's so beautiful," Esme said quietly, tucking him in her arm as she sat up just a little from where she laid.

Carlisle looked to Masen for a moment, who released Esme's hand and gave his father a long hug.

"Mase, your mom, is she healed yet?" Rosalie asked, seeing him part from her.

Esme nodded, knowing how spoiled she was from the use of her son's ability. Physically, she felt like she hadn't done anything, but somehow she still felt exhausted and completely overjoyed.

Masen kept a hand on the back of Carlisle's head as they remained in a tight embrace for another moment. He pulled back, seeing the tears on his father's face, then gave him some room next to Esme.

"It's Marshall," she told him with a laugh, that accompanied the happy tears in her eyes.

The baby continued to cry, and Esme attempted to calm him down with little success.

Rosalie looked on with a smile as Carlisle placed his hand soothingly on the top of the baby's tiny head. He squatted down and kissed Esme once, leaving his lips against her for a several seconds before allowing her to bond with their child.


	44. Four Days Straight

**Chapter 44**

For four strait days, Esme hadn't parted from Marshall, aside from allowing a family member to hold him for a few minutes, or handing him over to Carlisle, who virtually hadn't left her side.

Their family members gushed over the new addition to the family, and Esme was in her glory and on a motherly high from being around her fourth child. She constantly talked to him in the naturally maternal voice that gushed out of her. He had instantly become the center of her world for the time being.

Edward was there to give her insight on Marshall's thoughts, and she was constantly asking him what he was feeling or thinking. Jasper, too, filled her in on how content and safe the baby felt in Esme's arms above anyone else's.

Carlisle had prepared tons of bottles of blood for the child to feed on prior to Esme's delivery, but had gone hunting one other time and filled almost two dozen more with the animals he tracked down. Aside from that, he remained attached at the hip with his wife and newborn son, and Esme wouldn't have had it any other way. The moment she thought at one point would be bittersweet turned into one of the best moments of her life... again.

Caleb and Alex were a constant presence, always wanting to hold their baby brother, even jokingly fighting over who got to hold him when. Unlike her previous experiences with children, Alex was now able to envision what it would be like to have a child of her own with Michael, though knew she wasn't quite ready for it. The thought, however, became more appealing each time she held Marshall.

Rosalie, Alice and Bella all gushed over him with equal enthusiasm in their own way. Every time Bella felt the child in her arms, she knew that she and Edward had to have one during the next eclipse, which was now only two months away. Summer was right around the corner and July was when the next eclipse would occur. She knew she would be saddened if it didn't happen, as Carlisle and Esme's baby was a the final confirmation she needed to know that it was exactly what she wanted.

Esme had remained in the living room for most of the fourth day, knowing their family all wanted to visit with Marshall. Masen dropped in and out, and she treated him with some over-affectionate motherly love to let him know how much he meant to her. She thanked him repeatedly for healing her so quickly, as she in no way appeared as though she'd had a baby four days ago.

Leah and most of the women in the house all made comments of wanting another baby, which wasn't at all a rare comment when there was a newborn in the house. The looks from their husbands, however, indicated the opposite, on either a serious or joking level, but everyone was in good spirits and enjoying their time with baby Marshall.

Esme looked at Bella, who couldn't keep her eyes off the baby, as she and Edward sat on the couch opposite of Carlisle and Esme.

"Do you want to hold him?" Esme asked her with a smile, sensing she did.

Bella smiled back and nodded, then the two of them stood up and met halfway as Esme passed her son over.

"Are you still thinking of having a child on the eclipse?" she asked.

Edward grinned and he nodded, as Bella smiled at him, then looked back at Esme. "Yeah."

Carlisle smiled and put his arm on the couch in back of Esme and looked at Edward for a moment.

"It's time," Edward said with a shrug, staring down the baby in Bella's arms.

Bella looked back at him and nodded.

"Masen will make it painless," Esme assured her.

"Not like last time," she said, chuckling now but cringing at the memory of her pregnancy with Renesme.

Edward pulled her closer and kissed her temple, "This time will be different."

"I know."

Esme looked back at Carlisle, who smiled at her. "Do you need to hunt?" he asked.

She shook her head, but he could see that her eyes were just slightly blackened. He gave her a look, but smirked.

Esme laughed lightly, "I don't want to leave him yet. I'll hunt tomorrow."

Carlisle moved his hand to the back of her neck and began to gently massage the area. She looked over at how easy Marshall laid with Bella and smiled.

"Have you talked to Renesme about it?" Esme asked them.

Edward nodded.

"Yeah," Bella told her, "She's fine with it." She laughed, "I think her and Jake have been talking about having their own quite a bit, so wouldn't that be interesting."

"If the two of you had a baby around the same time?" Esme asked.

Bella chuckled, "Yeah."

Carlisle and Edward both laughed lightly at the same time, and Edward shrugged.

Esme turned to Carlisle, "Can you light a couple candles? All I can smell is the blood in here. It's making me hungry." She smiled, knowing he was about to suggest that she hunt, and placed a finger over his lips so he wouldn't. "I know. I will tomorrow."

Edward and Bella chuckled, before Carlisle nodded and smiled, then made his way to the kitchen to find a lighter in one of the drawers. He returned, lighting a few candles that were scattered about in the living room, then rejoined Esme on the couch.

He put his lips by her ear just to tease her, "You need to hunt," he whispered, then kissed her on the cheek.

Esme turned to him with another smile and placed her hand beneath his chin, "Tomorrow," she whispered back, then kissed him once and cuddled herself up against him. She reached for a blanket that sat on the back of the couch and tossed it over them.

"Want to find another movie?" Edward asked them.

Bella continued talking quietly with the baby with all smiles, before eventually handing him back over to Esme. She eagerly accepted him back and kept him close to her body.

"Carlisle," she said with a smile.

"Does he need a bottle?" he asked, already knowing from the look she was giving him.

Esme nodded with a smile and Carlisle got back up, making Edward laugh.

"Don't laugh, Edward," Esme said, "You'll be on Bella's command right after you have your next child."

"That's right," she agreed with a teasing ring to her voice as she nudged him.

He laughed, "It's just funny to see Carlisle running all over the place right now."

"Soon," Bella told him.

Edward smirked and looked at her and then gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Carlisle quickly returned with two baby bottles, and saw Marshall's arms moving reflexively to the scent of the blood. He handed one to Esme and she slipped it into their son's mouth, who eagerly took to the drink.

He rejoined her under the cover and admired the interaction between Esme and Marshall. His eyes gradually grew back their color as the bottle grew more and more empty.

"Second one?" Carlisle asked her.

Esme looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded and accepted the second one to give to Marshall. His eyes scanned her face for a moment, and he made a few whiney noises before eagerly getting back to his feeding.

Edward had let any lingering anger that he had about the situation fade upon Marshall's arrival. He was never mad at Carlisle, or Alice, but he knew they had inadvertently caused Esme so much pain. He smiled contently, and was happy to see the two of them complete and happy again.


	45. Nervous Butterflies

**Chapter 45**

"Okay," Alice said, "Jasper and Emmett are starting a little bonfire outside... the first one of spring. We have a reason to all kind of celebrate life and get back to normal."

Everyone in her immediate range smiled and quickly agreed to the plans she'd made for all of them.

"It's not dark yet," Caleb said.

"Give it ten minutes," Delilah told him, looking out the window.

He smiled at her and gave her a kiss.

"Gross," Alex whispered jokingly as she walked by them.

Delilah laughed lightly and buried the side of her face into his chest. Caleb kissed her forehead and kept her in his arms as they made their way out onto the back deck.

"It's not dark yet," Emmett mimicked him in a girly voice as they emerged, making both Caleb and Delilah laugh.

Esme held Marshall against her and carried a bottle in her free hand. Alice reached out for him and shrugged. "May I?"

She laughed and nodded, handing him over, "I know. I've been hogging him since he's been born."

"Even more than you did with Masen," Alice teased, looking at her as she made the comment.

Esme laughed again, "I know. I have... separation anxiety or something."

"Can I borrow him for a little while?" she asked.

"Sure." She began to walk outside but Alice stopped her. "What?" Esme asked. She ran her hand over Marshall's head as he laid against Alice's chest.

"Oh... um..." Alice pointed upstairs. Esme looked confused and Alice shrugged. "Just go up there. You'll understand... and thank me later."

Esme smiled and looked at Marshall.

"He'll be fine," Alice said, waving her hand in the opposite direction.

Esme reluctantly agreed at first, not wanting to part from Marshall, then headed upstairs as she suggested. She was sure she knew what Alice was getting at and began to feel a nervous flutter in the pit of her stomach.

Carlisle sat on the edge of the bed, throwing on a pair of socks as he prepared to put his shoes on just after to join the rest of the family out by the fire.

Esme entered the room and lightly pushed the door shut before approaching him, recognizing that she had no idea when the last time was that they had been together. She leaned down and kissed him, taking him slightly off-guard. He eagerly reciprocated her action and let his hands drift to the side of her face as both of them did their part in making it last.

She breathed in heavily through her nose, using her most overpowering sense to breath in his scent. He did the same and pulled her body closer to his before scooting himself back against the headboard without so much as saying a word. Esme moved with him, positioning a knee on either side of where he sat while they continued their first passionate encounter since Esme had realized he was alive.

Carlisle kept his eyes closed, feeling her hands begin to drift inside the collar of his shirt, before her fingers made their way to the top button, easily drawing open the top of his light blue button-down. Her hands then repositioned around the back of his neck and she sighed into the kiss as Carlisle's hands remained on the lowest part of her back.

She finally took a second to stop kissing him and brushed his hair back, landing her hand on the side of his face. Her stare fell upon him appreciatively, and she suddenly felt even more nervous, considering she had previously accepted that she would never be in this position again.

Carlisle stared back, waiting for her to say something, but she pressed her lips back against his again. He realized she had begun to undress herself in the process and so he decided to do the same. He knew it had been a long time since the two of them had been intimate, and had been waiting to allow Esme to take the initiative considering the circumstances, the baby and her emotional state.

She moved to the side for a moment, allowing him to remove his clothing and giggled once as his foot got stuck in the sheet.

Carlisle turned his eyes upward and smiled at her genuinely, glad to see her laugh. It eased his mind, and he felt his own anxiety subside. He pulled her back to him, not moving from the way he sat. Before he could even ask or say anything, Esme joined herself to him, wrapping the sheet around her as she did.

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, feeling her sighing breath land on his shoulder.

Esme re-wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and waited for his eyes to open again before gently placing her lips against his. Carlisle kissed her back and tensed up from her movements, feeling butterflies in the pit of his stomach.

She looked him in the eye again for a moment and moved herself against him only slightly, "I don't know why I'm so nervous," she told him a quick laugh. "I feel like I've never done this before."

Carlisle felt her hand shake against his upper back. He brushed back some of her hair with his hand, "We don't have to."

"I _want_ to," Esme reassured him enthusiastically, "I don't know what's wrong with me." She laughed again and saw Carlisle's half grin.

"I think you're doing just fine," he told her quietly, leaving his hand on the side of her face.

Esme leaned into his palm and opened her mouth partway to kiss him. The touch of his hands against her was gentle and arousing, matching the smooth motion that his tongue and lips created. She decided to pick up where she left off and began to do her part, controlling the pace of their intimacy

He pressed his lips gently against the base of her neck, pulling his back away from the headboard just slightly, as her hands remained locked around his shoulders and the back of his head. The side of Carlisle's face pressed gently against Esme's so his lips were parallel to her ear.

Every breath he took filled her eardrum and decorated the sensitive skin in the surrounding area, with hers doing the same along his.

Esme felt every ounce of emotion that she had been holding back pulling at her as she couldn't escape the idea that she may never have felt what it was like to be in Carlisle's gentle arms again.

"I love you Esme," he whispered, letting his lower lip hit her earlobe.

She grasped him tighter, stopping what she was doing for a moment to pull her face back to look at him. The feel of his hand traveling up her back made her entire body tighten up, feeling uplifting, erotic butterflies in her stomach as he crossed over her bare chest and then up toward her face, connecting his lips with hers again.

Esme felt like she could barely move, paralyzed by the combination of emotional and physical feelings that had completely taken her over. She almost forgot to say the words back that kept reoccurring in her mind. "I love you too," she choked out back to him, quickly finding his mouth again.

Carlisle leaned his face back an inch or two when she broke off their kiss and studied her expression for a moment. He'd recognized that Esme hadn't opened her eyes, and her features had become more intense. She had her eyebrows pressed together and clung to him firmly, hugging his body against hers as she moved.

He moved the side of his face back against hers and spoke quietly into her ear again. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

Esme let her eyes flicker open for a second, as she was lost in the moment then answered with a nod and an half-moaned, "Mmm-hmm."

He shuddered and closed his eyes when her nails lightly caressed the length of his back, and tried suppressing his quiet moans while his lips made their way back to her neck. Esme closed her eyes again and both of them were able to embrace the moment with one another, allowing their emotions to control the remainder of the long overdue evening.

...

"I missed the rain," Esme said, laying on her side facing Carlisle beneath the covers. She listened to the droplets of watch as they hit the roof and toyed lazily with his hair, enjoying the loving look in his eyes that hadn't left his face all night.

"I think it ruined everyone else's night," he said quietly, having heard everyone scatter and laugh as they piled back into the house when a downpour occurred out of nowhere to kill the bonfire. He closed his eyes every time Esme removed her hand and replaced it back through his hair.

When she stopped, leaving her hand dormant on the side of his face, he moved the heel of her hand against his lips and left two or three gentle kisses against it. "I don't know what else to say to keep expressing how sorry I am," he said.

Esme could feel his voice turn slightly somber. "Carlisle, you don't have to do that. Even if you and Alice didn't give an explanation, I know you had good reason to do what you did." She could feel the regret radiating out of him.

"I'm sorry," he told her, "We haven't had a real chance to talk about it because Marshall came so soon afterwards."

Esme sighed, feeling her emotions rise again as she looked at him.

Carlisle slid an inch or so closer to her and kissed her once. She wrapped the arm she wasn't laying on around him and pulled him in for another kiss before letting her face lay against the pillow an inch away from his. A sigh she couldn't contain left her mouth and she felt her eyes dampen.

"I really thought you were dead," she told him. "I was thinking of ways that I would keep myself busy, and how to keep the kids okay." Her voice was sturdy, but Carlisle could see the tears drop sideways toward the pillow.

Carlisle pulled her against him and encouraged Esme to let it out. He knew she was honest when telling him that she didn't care what the reason was, but he also knew that she had been holding in everything that she had felt throughout that two week time period.

"Tell me," he whispered, running his hand along her back.

"I didn't know what was right," she admitted, "I didn't know if I was going to go try to take on the entire Volturi myself, or if you would have wanted me to take the high road by not doing that. I was confused. I was afraid that our son would never know how great and caring and wonderful his father was." Her voice finally cracked and she began to cry against him, apologizing once in the mix of her tears.

"Don't apologize," Carlisle told her, bringing her face toward his chest. He kissed her forehead, feeling like knives were piercing his insides.

Esme allowed herself another minute or two to let her emotions out before she finally took a deep breath and dried her eyes. She managed a smile, "I'm sorry," she whispered, shaking her head.

Carlisle placed his nose against hers, then soothingly kissed her one time, before brushing her hair back with his hand. He sighed the next few words, "Esme... those two weeks seemed longer than the centuries I've been alive for."

"When Edward showed me your ring, and the cross..." Esme's voice drifted and she wiped tears from her eye as they just crept out of her eyes.

Carlisle moved his hand to dry them.

"I would be laying curled up in ball right now," she told him, "Alone. Here."

"I know I've told you this before," he told her, "But I'll never put you through something like that again. I don't mean to break my promises."

"I know," Esme said, lowering her eyes as tears began to fall again.

Carlisle tilted her face to meet his eyes and perched himself up onto his elbow, "Esme, I wish I had a better way of showing and telling you how sorry I am. I want you to tell me everything you need to. Get it all out to me."

Esme slid her hand up his back and to his face, then pulled him halfway on top of her in the tightest hug she could possibly give him. She whole-heartedly let herself cry, fully acknowledging that she could be there at that moment alone, and lost and unbearably miserable. She allowed that feeling to get the best of her until she felt like she couldn't cry over it anymore.

Carlisle kept her close and let her vent everything out until he could tell she was finally cried out and refreshed.

Esme sighed and decided that she did exactly what she needed to do. She needed to let her final tears out and tell Carlisle exactly what she had been feeling during that time period that he was gone. Now, she knew she had a sense of closure and it was time to move forward for good and focus on the blessed future they would have together.


	46. Sleep Effects

**Chapter 46**

Esme sat upright in the bed, feeling anxious and breathing heavy as a natural reaction. For a second she didn't know where she was, and when she finally took in her surroundings, she realized that she must have been sleeping.

Her eyes scanned the darkness of the bedroom and her brain began to catch up as she eyed all the familiar settings. Outside, rain continued to land in a heavy, soothing fashion against the room, and tapped at the windows. For a brief second, Esme felt a fear in the pit of her stomach that she had been dreaming up the whole ordeal of Carlisle and Alice being alive, and having her baby. She reached an arm down, placing a hand on her bare stomach and sighed with relief.

She turned her head and noticed Carlisle's steady breathing. When she saw him laying next to her in a peaceful slumber, the lingering doubts of her previously dreamy daze had left her body and mind completely. She sighed and laid back down, placing a hand lightly over her forehead for a moment to regain her sense of balance. Esme never minded when her daughter used her gift to give her mind a needed rest, but the disorientation of waking up out of a dream was something that was still foreign.

Carlisle's back heaved up and down slightly with each breath he took, as he laid comfortably on his side with his back to her. She ran a hand up and down his back, finding herself tracing the lines in his back with his fingertips, before playing with his pillow-fluffed hair.

He remained in his state of sleep, appearing to be much more relaxed than she had been, looking as if he hadn't a care in the world. The sheets were pulled up about halfway up his torso and it added to the comfortable feel about the way he laid.

_What time is it?_ Esme thought. She glanced over him at the clock by the bed and saw that it was between two and three a.m. The last time she remembered being consciously awake was when she was crying, and for some reason she remembered it was only about nine o'clock at that point in the night. Her next thought was about Marshall, and a sudden rush of unnecessary panic washed over her when she thought to herself that she had been away from him for too long if six or seven hours had truly passed.

Esme looked back at Carlisle, not wanting to wake him, and so she carefully slid out of bed and moved into the bathroom to throw some water on her face before getting dressed in a pair of her husband's sweatpants and a tight, black thermal shirt she liked to lounge in.

The house was quiet, but it was apparent that just about everyone was somewhere in the house. Esme opened the door carefully to their room, taking one more look over her shoulder at Carlisle before exiting out into the hallway.

She quickly threw her hair up into a ponytail and headed toward the living room, as her senses told her right away that Marshall was there. The aroma of fresh blood lingered in the air, and Esme soaked in the scent before approaching where Edward and Bella sat in the near darkness with her son.

The television was playing a movie that neither of them were paying much attention to at the moment, and Edward was feeding Marshall. His eyes lifted with a smile as Esme joined where the two of them sat.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I didn't realize we fell asleep for so long."

"It's about time you gave him up for a little while," Edward teased back. He smiled at her. "Do you want him?"

"After he's done eating," Esme said, "Thank you guys."

"Mostly everyone's here," he told her, noticing her wandering eyes and accompanying thoughts, "Alex and Michael are at their place, though."

"Where's Caleb?"

"Playing a video game. Delilah looked bored sitting the corner watching him and Jasper." He laughed lightly and Marshall took his own initiative to pop the empty bottle out of his mouth.

"He's so beautiful," Bella gushed, playing with the barely-there hair that sat on top of his head.

Esme smiled, "Thank you Bella." She eagerly took him back in her arms and held him close as she began to talk with him quietly.

"Where's Carlisle?" Edward asked.

"Sleeping."

He nodded and smiled and Esme swatted his arm lightly as she could see he was unable to stray away from her thoughts.

Bella smirked at him and shook her head, nudging him just as lightly with her foot, as she sat curled up on the couch.

"He was saying we should take a trip to Denali," Edward said, "They know that him and Alice are okay, but he wants to explain everything. And I know he wrote letters to the Egyptian coven, and the Irish."

Esme nodded, "I forgot to tell him that I sent them out the other day." Her hand stroked over Marshall's back, then she moved her hand to his hair.

"He's got your features," Bella told her with a smile, staring at the baby's wondrous stare at the world around him.

"You think so?" she asked.

The two of them nodded. "Alice has seen him grown up. She doesn't want to spoil it for you though with all kinds of details," Edward added with another light laugh.

Esme smiled, always glad to know that the future looked bright for them. Marshall coughed and made a few noises, making her grin again. She tilted him a little more toward her as she leaned back into the couch. He rested peacefully against her and locked his fingers into the fabric of her shirt.

The three of them continued to chat for a moment, mindlessly watching the movie that played, before Carlisle crossed through the dark living room with heavy eyes and pillow-styled hair. He had on pair of gray sweatpants with a hooded sweatshirt to match.

Edward snickered first at Carlisle's post-nap appearance, leading Esme and Bella to do the same. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and approached Esme, waving his hands toward her so she'd give him Marshall.

She smiled and stood up, then joined him on the other couch as Edward stretched his legs out to where Esme had just been sitting.

"Hey Marshall," Carlisle said, holding him out in front of him.

The tiny child looked at him and moved his arms in an uncoordinated fashion, making similar noises that he had been while sitting with Esme.

Carlisle smiled and kissed his chubby cheeks, then held him against his chest with one arm and tucked Esme close under the other. He positioned the end of the couch in a reclined position and let out a sigh, making Edward laugh again.

"It's so disorienting to wake up when you haven't really slept much in three hundred years," he said to them, running a hand through his messy hair again.

Bella smiled, not thinking much of waking up, seeing as it hadn't been overly long compared to the rest of them that she was doing it on a daily basis.

"Disoriented is the only word to describe what you look like right now," Edward teased.

"I'm serious," he said with a quick laugh, looking down at Marshall for a moment before glancing at Esme, "Did you fall asleep?"

She nodded, "For all of five hours."

Edward laughed at Carlisle's thoughts, and the two of them looked over at him. "I can't help but laugh sometimes, I'm sorry," he told them, unable to hide a smile, "It's like you're saying the words."

"Who's thoughts are you laughing at?" Esme asked, feeling a bit self-conscious, but not minding him joking around.

"Carlisle's," he said, "He was just wondering why you left him to wake up alone."

Esme looked at him and Bella couldn't help but laugh as Carlisle shook his head with a smile.

"I didn't want to wake you," Esme told him with a laugh of her own. "Aww, I'm sorry." She continued to laugh, being purposely over-apologetic and kissed him on the cheek.

Carlisle snickered and looked at Edward, then shook his head. "I think we should go to Denali this weekend," he told them, unaware that they had been discussing the subject before he arrived.

"Saturday?" Esme asked.

He shrugged, "Whatever is best for everyone. You don't have to make the trip if you want to stay with Marshall-"

"I'm going," she said promptly, cutting him off.

"I just want to be sure-"

"It's fine," Esme went on with a nod.

"I don't blame you," Edward said with mocking accusation, "He may not come back for two weeks without so much as a phone call."

Carlisle looked at him, seeing him smirk. Bella sighed and looked at her husband, then to Esme who was shaking her head with a smile.

"I need to explain to their family what happened," he went on, not further acknowledging Edward's comment. He looked at Esme, "We should make a trip to the post office too. The letters to Benjamin and Liam-"

"Already done," Esme told him with a little wink.

Carlisle smiled at her, "When?"

"When you were out hunting."

He continued to stare at her with a grin for a moment and laughed at the expression on her face. Esme chuckled back with him and they both sighed at the same time.

Marshall began to cry out of nowhere and everyone glanced in his direction while Carlisle began to stand up. He kicked in the footrest and Esme rose from her seat as she did.

"Stay," he said.

"I'll take him," she offered.

Carlisle moved his hand to the side of her face and kissed her once as he passed by with a smile, "Sit and relax. I'll calm him down."

She was going to try fighting him on the subject, but decided not to as he began talking soothingly to the baby, bouncing him up and down slightly as he walked back out of the room and merged with the darkness. It was only for another minute or two that they could hear Marshall's cries before he finally settled down.

Esme looked stir crazy without the two of them next to her, providing Edward with more laughs of his own. She kept scolding him with her eyes, if not her words, but didn't at all mind when he got into a silly mood as he was in now.

Out of nowhere, Bella asked the question. "What ever happened to the Romanians... and the Volturi?"


	47. Restoration

**Chapter 47**

The rubble that had been left from the ambush on the Volturi had initially looked as if it were beyond repair. Their coven, or rather the members of their coven that were lower on the totem pole, did their part in restoring the old mansion, though it was not the same as it had been.

The royal mystique that had gone along with feel of the old building had diminished and initially all that had been left was the destruction; bits of rubble and burned mementos that Aro and the others had collected for centuries.

The restore was still in the rebuilding process, and the main members of the Volturi had been congregating in one of the segregated underground room that had remained more or less untouched in the destruction process.

Aro was furious, knowing that the Romanians were responsible for what had happened. He was equally as infuriated by the fact that their plan had backfired. The whole point of the ambush was to eliminate threats by use of fear and force. Now, he was sure that the rest of the vampire world would have knowledge of the incident. It would make them look worse. Others would soon attack. He had a gut feeling that later in time, perhaps even decades from now, the Cullen family would retaliate for the loss of Carlisle and Alice.

He had begun to regret the decision already. He knew Carlisle had friends from all over the world, and for some reason his death provided him more power than even perhaps his life. Aro didn't know what to do, but he was seeing red. He _would_ call an attack on the Vladimir and Stefan, and if there was anyone else involved he would figure out who it was. On top of it all, Luciana hadn't returned a letter or a phone call, and Felix hadn't been in contact at all since parting from their coven. He was nowhere to be found, and Aro began to fear the worst in that the Romanians, or others nearby had managed to do away with him before he even left Italy.

As much as he hated the vampire duo, he could not deny that they weren't intelligent and bold; not to mention had a motive to do what they did. Carlisle wasn't necessarily what had set them off, but they certainly had used his death as a scapegoat to attack.

"Any word from Felix?" Caius asked.

"No," Aro responded simply.

Athenodora, Caius' wife, rounded into the room, as no one had particularly segregated areas anymore. "The library is mostly back in tact," she told him, then glanced at Aro and finally Marcus.

"How much did we lose?" Caius asked.

"Not quite half, but... a lot."

"And the artwork?" Aro asked her, "Was any of it salvageable?"

"I haven't been given exact numbers, but I believe it's similar to that of the library."

There was a silence that fell upon them, before Athenodora excused herself from their company.

Aro looked to Caius slowly, then back toward the wall where he was previously staring.

"Do we return to the Cullens?" Caius asked him.

He sighed once, "No. They aren't my concern anymore... at least not right now."

"They did look quite broken," Marcus added.

"How long until we're back to normal?" Aro asked, "Do either of you have an idea of when our workers will be finished?"

"They can only work on the outside late at night," Caius explained, "And even that's a stretch. The town was in a panic over what happened. It's been quite the challenge to hunt and remain unseen. Humans around here are on their toes more than ever. The stories haven't died."

"And inside?"

"It's a work-in-progress," Marcus nearly whispered.

"Shall we provide our workers with some added motivation?" Caius asked.

"Indeed," Aro said coldly. "I'd like this "restoration project" to end so we can take out the Romanians for good. We should have eliminated them centuries ago."

...

Carlisle and Alice apologized to the Denali coven for lying, though their extended family completely understood the circumstances and were happy to see that the two of them were alive.

Alice caught them up to date on the status of the Volturi, and what their plans would be in the immediate future. She explained about Felix's demise, and overemphasized that their families were not even being considered at the moment. Aro was fully focused on bringing him living quarters back to life, and stalking Vladimir and Stefan until he took them down. The Cullens, straight from this mouth, were not a threat.

"So he still thinks you're both dead?" Eleazar asked.

Alice nodded, "Yes."

He nodded back, and seemed to approve of the situation. "I'm glad nothing happened to the two of you."

"Thank you," Carlisle told him, "I'm sorry again."

"It's quite alright, Carlisle," Eleazar assured him. "You did what you had to do to keep your family safe." He glanced at Esme and smiled.

Esme smiled back and linked her free arm through Carlisle's, while holding on to Marshall with the other.

"I've been thinking," Carlisle said, leaning forward on the couch in the Denalis' living room, "I think we should head back to the reservation in Montana and get their land looking the way it did prior to the fight. We destroyed so much."

"How would we do that?" Carmen asked him, looking approvingly thoughtful.

"I'd like to replant trees, and do some detailed landscaping," he said, "They lost members of their family, and have always stood beside us."

"I think that's a great idea."

Eleazar nodded in agreement, as did Esme.

Carlisle looked at her, "I'm sure Cassie would appreciate it too."

Esme thought of their granddaughter and Shane, who had had trouble finding a permanent location. They had been frequently visiting Montana in the wake of all the destruction.

"That would be a wonderful thing to do," she said, "I'll go any time."

Carlisle smiled at her and repositioned them so he could link his hand through hers. He glanced at Marshall, who laid calmly against his mother.

"I'd make the trip," Garrett offered.

"Me too," Kate and Tanya said at the same time.

"I think between all of us we could get a lot done," Carlisle said. He looked around at his family, all of which appeared to be on board.

"So I guess, the next stop will be back to Montana?" Rosalie asked.

There were nods all around, and each person looked to Carlisle upon making their decision to join, considering it was his idea.

Alice looked around. "I promise, _this_ trip will be much more peaceful."


	48. Things Are Looking Up

**Chapter 48**

"Thanks for agreeing to come back," Shane gushed as he looked around at the Cullens and the Denali family. His expression showed that he was almost in a state of disbelief, but he was incredibly grateful. "I know everyone will really appreciate it."

Cassandra had linked herself to his side, and looked overly eager to get their trip underway as everyone stood around together in the driveway. She looked at her parents and smiled, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," they said at the same time.

Masen suddenly realized that he hadn't told his parents about Cassandra's phasing. He looked toward both of them, appearing as if a light bulb went off in his head.

"What?" Esme asked him.

"Did anyone tell you about Cassie?" he asked.

Esme looked at him, thinking briefly he meant the imprinting with Shane, but she knew Masen was aware that everyone already knew about that.

Carlisle looked at their granddaughter for a moment, who smiled at him.

"I, um, I can phase now," she said with a giggle, that made him laugh lightly.

He let the reality sink in and looked at her thoughtfully. Esme smiled, knowing his thoughts were probably reeling with the new revelations being presented to them.

"Since when?" he asked with a lingering smile.

Cassandra looked at Leah, who answered for her, sensing that's what she was waiting for.

"Masen and I were being attacked," she told him, "And Cassie leapt over us and it just sort of... happened."

Carlisle and Esme looked back to Cassandra, who shrugged and laughed again.

"Have you been able to do it since?" Esme asked her.

She nodded, "Yeah. I'm still getting used to it."

"I wonder if it's because of the danger Leah and Masen were in, or if it had anything to do with the imprinting," Carlisle wondered aloud. He looked at Esme, then to Masen and Leah.

"We've been wondering the same thing," Leah told him. She looked at Masen and put a hand on his chest as she leaned into him. He nodded in agreement and winked at Cassandra.

Caleb walked up to Esme and gave her a hug out of nowhere, kissing the back of Marshall's head in the process. She smiled at him, and he looked at his parents.

"I know this is out of the blue," he said, "But thank you for always supporting me and Delilah. I know it was probably an awkward, or dangerous even, start to a relationship, but it would suck if you guys weren't there to support us."

Delilah stood talking with Alex on the front step, but she overheard what Caleb had been saying and smiled slightly at him, trying not to eavesdrop.

Esme put a hand on his face and kissed his cheek, "You don't have to thank us, honey. We're glad you're both happy."

He smiled again, and looked a little sad for a moment. "Dad, can I... borrow you for a second?"

"Sure," Carlisle said, looking at Esme for a moment. She instantly grew a little worried by his tone.

"We'll be right back," Caleb assured his mother, and those in the immediate area. "And then we can go."

"Yes sir," Masen joked.

Carlisle followed his son out away from everyone and could tell something was wrong. "What's going on Caleb?" he asked finally.

"I'm afraid," he confessed.

"About what?"

"About the Volturi; about them trying to take Delilah away to live with them."

"Why? Has Alice or Nicole seen something?"

"No," Caleb told him, shaking his head, "But they were training her to sharpen her tracking skills. Now that Demetri's gone, I'm afraid they'll want her for themselves; Caius especially, and probably Aro too."

Carlisle sighed, seeing the true fear lingering in his son's eyes. "They'll never take Delilah."

"How do you know?"

"Because we won't let them."

"It's all I've been able to think about," Caleb told him, "I can't stop thinking about it."

"Are you sure there hasn't been a vision?" Carlisle asked him, a bit concerned.

He shook his head, "No. No one's told me about a vision, and I know Alice has said their attention isn't on us anymore but I just fear one day they'll come for her and I won't be able to stop them."

"Caleb," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "You would never have to stand alone should something of that nature ever take place. _We_ as a family won't allow her to be taken away. And there's no indicator that that's going to happen."

"I know," Caleb said, shaking his head, "I know it's stupid to dwell on something that I'm practically making up in my own mind."

"It's not stupid," Carlisle said reassuringly, "You have every right to be worried, because we never know what tomorrow will bring and you've experienced a lot in your short time." He looked around for a moment, then looked back at him, "But on the other hand, you can't let those type of thoughts consume you, or you'll drive yourself crazy."

"Yeah, I know. I think of the worst case scenarios all the time lately."

He regretted knowing that his son was so anxious at such a young age. He wanted more for him. He wished the fight hadn't taken place, and that their family wasn't put under such stress.

Carlisle brought him in for a quick hug, then patted him on the back. "Try not to. I know it's easier said than done, but Alice says things are looking up for us. If anything, just let that give you at least a temporary peace of mind."

Caleb looked at him and nodded, then looked down toward his shoes.

"Is there anything else?" Carlisle asked him.

He shook his head, then looked back up. "No."

"Are you angry at all about the decision I made?"

Caleb's expression changed to slightly surprised, "No. No, not at all."

Carlisle looked at him and nodded.

"I'm really not," he went on, "I never was."

"Okay," Carlisle told him. "If you ever want to talk about that, or get things off your chest let me know, because I know it wasn't fair to you."

"I understand why you did it," Caleb acknowledged. "I know what could have happened if you didn't, or what would have."

"Yeah."

"We'd all still be sad right now still. You know... the ride from Montana back here was horrible. We finally started listening to music about halfway, but everyone was just trying to be happy and make things feel normal when they weren't." His eyes grew glossy, but he didn't cry.

"I'm sorry Caleb."

He shrugged and the hugged his father again. "I'm just glad it wasn't real Dad."

Carlisle sighed again, "I'm sorry Caleb," he repeated.

They spent another minute together, before finally making their way back to the driveway. Caleb smirked at his father, then linked back up with Delilah.

"Let's go," Carlisle commanded lightly with a smile.

Esme grinned and he leaned in to give her a kiss, before the two of them hopped into his Mercedes with Caleb and Delilah in the back with Marshall in between them in a car seat. Everyone was sure he would break it before their arrival a few states away.


	49. Theraputic Family Bonding

**Chapter 49**

The Cullens had touched base with their friends in Montana, who warned the rest of their tribe that they would be arriving. They didn't want another case of mistaken identity to cause unnecessarily hostility in the same way it had between Carlisle and Shane. There was still lingering bad blood between the tribe and vampires in general, despite the help of the Cullens and Denali clan. Their land had been destroyed over the course of about a square mile, which was overly hard to recover from. Aside from that, one of their own spirit warriors had been killed in the battle against the Volturi. It left lingering feelings of mourning and a bad taste in their mouths.

"Are you sure it's alright that we're here?" Carlisle asked, walking through the open field that still lingered with the remnants of the awful day they'd all experienced together. He looked over at Esme, who looked slightly sad and uneasy. It hadn't been on purpose, but she wasn't really paying attention to the conversation at hand. Carlisle pulled her closer to him and she glanced up at him with a small smile.

Kayla walked around beside him, looking around. "Absolutely." Her eyes scanned across the shattered trees in the tiny valley, most of which were decorated with burns, and chopped in half. Only one or two trees were still standing in full.

Emmett had towed a ton of lawn equipment on the back of his Jeep in a smaller trailer they'd bought a few days before leaving. Their family had intended to stay until the place was at least prepared to grow the life back, with trees planted and the ground prepped to get the thick, green grass back to the way it had been.

"You guys didn't have to do this," Kayla told him again, as they made their way out to where Emmett had parked the car. It was the area that needed the most work, but everyone was confident they could cover a lot of ground in a little amount of time.

"Yes we did," Carlisle told her with a nod.

She turned to him and gave him a hug and sighed deeply. "Thank you. Jeremy and I were glad to hear that you were alright."

He hugged her back and she looked him in the eye when she pulled away, holding him lightly on the sides of his arm for a moment before giving Esme a hug next. "Your son is as adorable as baby's come."

Esme laughed for the first time since being on the reservation. "Thank you Kayla." The three of them made their way over to where most of their families were already gathered and began to work.

For more than twenty hours straight, they covered a lot of ground, though were certain to be careful in the technique's they'd read up on as far as caring for grass, and other things along the same wavelength. The members of the tribe took one break in the middle of the extremely long work day to rest, then quickly resumed when they recharged their batteries after a short period of sleep.

Emmett had wandered off several times with Garrett, finding random full grown trees and uprooting them. They then brought them into the area near Kayla and Jeremy's house where a lot of the damage had been done down the rocky hillside. Everyone aided in getting rid of the old, now dead stumps and half-broken trees while carefully replacing them with the new ones.

Meanwhile, Esme, Rosalie and a few of the other girls planted smaller trees that they had brought with them in the midst of the taller ones. They more or less represented a new beginning, as they had a countless amount of years left in them.

The yard and open fields were littered with grass seed, among other things, and Cassie sat with Marshall for awhile, mulching specific areas of Kayla's yard and planting flowers. Shane kept her company, and laughed a few times when she shrieked at the sight of a few extra large spiders. He found it extra funny because it was more than obvious that they couldn't hurt her.

Similarly, Esme got a good laugh upon getting startled when a snake appeared nearby and brushed over her shoe. She reactively tossed the shovel she was holding a foot or so in front of her, then put her hand over her chest and began to laugh following a dramatic scream.

Carlisle had rushed to her side, but his anxiety subsided quickly when he realized she wasn't in any danger. He couldn't help but laugh, softly at first, and then louder as he let her fears sink in. The snake quickly wandered off and she began to laugh with him, placing her forehead against his shoulder.

"What happened?" Emmett called, emerging at the top of the cliff above where they stood. He smiled when he saw they were both laughing.

Esme pointed past Carlisle toward the snake, that was slowly slinking in with nature. From where Emmett stood, it appeared as though she was point at her husband. She shuddered and scrunched her nose, "That just touched me."

Rosalie joined where Emmett stood and leaned a hand on her hip, then wiped some dirt from the side of her face.

"He's been touching you for a hundred years," Emmett told her jokingly, "I've never seen you react that way."

Carlisle lightly tossed a rock up in their direction and Rosalie began to laugh. "There was a snake," he told them.

"Yeah okay," Emmett said, waving his hand and shaking his head. He snickered to himself then hoisted Rosalie up onto his back and the two of them made their way elsewhere.

Carlisle looked back at Esme, and the two of them shared full smiles before he brought her to him and gave her a good closed-mouth kiss. She laughed right after, and dropped her head to his shoulder again. He kept his arms around her and the two of them shared another quick laugh together.

"Oh, I thought this was going to be like reliving a nightmare," Esme confessed. "I know I was probably really quiet on the ride up and when we first got here, but I think this was such a great thing to do all together."

"Me too," Carlisle agreed, "Everyone's mood seemed change in a more positive direction as the day went on. I think this is a great way to get closure for everyone."

"I agree." She looked around the area, "And I'd say we did a..." she hesitated and laughed, "A _damn_ good job."

Carlisle chuckled at her tentative use of perhaps the most innocent of curse words. He brought her back to him and the two of them shared another few kisses before deciding that their work there may have been done. Like Emmett had, Carlisle grabbed Esme abruptly and threw her on his back, making her laugh from the spontaneity of his action.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders and couldn't keep a smile from her face as he carried her out to where most of the family was beginning to gather by where they'd parked the Jeep a day earlier.

"You vamps are tireless," Shane commented, looking directly at Emmett, who stood tall in a dirty white tank top and jeans. Dirt covered him from practically head to toe. Rosalie stood next to him in matching attire with her hair in a high bun on the top of her head.

"That's how we operate," Emmett told him with a smirk and quick chuckle. He threw his arms around Rosalie and brought her in for a hug.

"This was _so_ therapeutic," Alice said, looking around, "It looks like a new place, and the grass will definitely be back to looking the way it should soon."

"This is... awesome," Jeremy said with an overapproving nod. "I can't believe this much work was done in one day." He made his rounds and began to thank each of them personally with a hug for the women and a handshake for the men.

"We'll come down to visit soon," Kayla told them all. She looked at Kate, "And maybe a trip to where your family lives in Denali. I hear Alaska is one of most beautiful places in the world."

"We don't mind it," she said with a smile, underplaying the place they called home. Her eyes met Garrett's and he brought her closer to him.

Everyone exchanged some final goodbyes, and lots of appreciative gestures before the Cullens and Denalis made their way back to their respective homes.

"That was well worth the trip," Carlisle said, as they pulled off the reservation. He looked to Esme first, then in the back toward Caleb and Delilah.

They both agreed with a nod, and seemed to be in good spirits.

"I feel good," Delilah said, "Like really good; better than I ever have in my life actually."

Esme turned and smiled at her, noticing she was playing with the light blue sock on Marshall's foot. "I do too," she told her.

Delilah smiled back at Esme, before she turned back around and Carlisle slid his right hand down to link up with her left one.

She noticed from the position that she sat that they didn't once separate on the long drive halfway across the country.


	50. Updates

**Chapter 50**

Benjamin and Tia received the letter that Carlisle had written explaining everything that had happened in regards to the scheme he had conducted with Alice. He had addressed it to their entire family, and so word was passed on to Amun and Kebi, as well.

The four of them were happy to hear the news, though Benjamin felt worry in the pit of his stomach regarding the bold actions he'd taken in aiding to destroy the Volturi's home. He hadn't spoken about what he had done to Amun or Kebi, and initially hadn't wanted to involved his mate either, but she insisted on knowing what he was up to.

"It's great to know that Carlisle and Alice were killed in their fight," Amun said. There was a lingering fear in his voice for knowing the information, and he knew he would have to do everything in his power to keep away from Aro for the remainder of his days, or at least until the truth surfaced. He did not want to be the one to receive punishment for knowing and not saying anything to them.

Kebi looked equally anxious, though acknowledged that she, too, was glad their friends were not dead. Aside from the times with the Cullens, they had managed to keep their distance from the Italian coven for quite some time and they intended to keep it that way. There was virtually no reason for the Volturi to pay them a visit.

Only a day later, the Irish also received word regarding Carlisle's status. They, too, were overjoyed and far less worrisome than the Egyptians. For them, the letter provided nothing but good feelings and they felt no duty in passing the news on to the Volturi, or anyone.

For each coven, Carlisle's words were simple, and to the point. He didn't mention the fight, the Volturi or anything in order to keep his friends out of harm's way should Aro, by chance, pay them a visit.

_I am writing to let you know that Alice and I are alive. I know there have been rumors flying around, or you may be been told otherwise, but we are okay and have since reunited with the rest of our family._

_My apologies,_

_Carlisle_

The only difference between the two letters was who they were addressed to.

While the underlying feelings of the two covens were vastly different, one anxious and one carefree, they felt equal relief to know that the Cullens had survived unscathed.

...

Aro had grown frustrated, as their coven was unable to locate the Romanians. They had fled their home country, and without Demetri their attempts to find them had thus far been unsuccessful. He suddenly felt foolish for allowing the fight to take place between their family and the Cullens. While he acknowledged a great loss on the side of the Cullen family, he had begun to feel as though risking and losing the lives of valuable men on their end was not worth it. Their attack had been a product of impulsivity and feelings rather than reason. Aro realized that now.

_Feelings_, he scoffed at the word. Whether terrifyingly angry or head-over-heels in love, emotional lapses were the kiss of death. Jane's anger over Alec's death was one example of how their plan was outrageously flawed. It had been a driving force, and had given Aro a reason to extend the command to attack. He recognized that he had been overconfident, and that at the moment had thought that he could live with losses if they were on both sides. Now, he stared regret in the face.

Marcus slowly approached where he sat upon making a round through their mansion-like home. It was back to normal in a lot of ways, though the library's supply of books had diminished and a wing in a far area of the place was closed down.

"Felix?" Aro asked.

"No one has heard from him," Marcus informed him.

"We must find the Romanians."

"Rumor has it that they've fled the entire continent."

Aro looked upward toward a piece of stained glass that hadn't fallen victim to the attack. "They've got to be somewhere." His teeth were gritted, though he spoke even and softly.

"I do fear the worst for Felix."

He glared at Marcus, who turned his head casually back in his direction. "We must get back to replacing what we've lost."

Marcus sighed and remained standing beside his brother with his shoulders slumped.

Aro looked over at him angrily, not one to sympathize with any sort of sadness or depression. His thoughts drifted to Luciana and he felt even angrier. He began to think that maybe he would be better off without her in his life. Simultaneously, he cursed himself for the thought.

_We are far too vulnerable right now_, he thought to himself.

"May I make a recommendation?" Marcus asked.

Aro nodded subtly.

"We'll either have to go immediately back on the offensive at someone; anyone..." he thought as looked toward the ceiling for a moment before looking back toward Aro, "Or we stay sheltered and recuperate, and recruit others."

"Sheltered?"

Marcus nodded. "More loss would greatly weaken us."

"Brother, I intend to do both of those things without mercy," Aro told him firmly, "Though we will not remain sheltered. We will go on the offensive with our strongest weapons, involving ourselves in matters that we know we will win. On the same note, we'll do as you've stated and recuperate here. We'll train others. We'll gain back what we've lost."

Marcus could see that Aro was not attempting to convince himself; he believed his words. He was convinced their missing family members were replaceable, even if that meant taking a bite out of a thousand humans and disposing of the invaluable ones, while maintaining the diamonds in the rough that would be reborn as an immortal with valuable gifts. They'd done it in the past, and had found success with only the lives of humans lost.

Without warning, Aro grabbed Marcus' hand upon seeing him deep in thought.

Marcus didn't flinch. He gladly extended his hand for Aro, and waited to see what he thought in regards to everything that had just crossed his mind.

Aro finally let go and smiled. "Precisely." The smile lingered. _And perhaps more children of my own to rule beneath me. If Luciana doesn't want to be a part of this coven, then I am certain that future offspring will._


	51. Car Wash

**Chapter 51**

Carlisle had gathered a bunch of supplies from the garage to clean his car upon returning home from their trip. Half of the family had made their way back inside, or to their separate houses, while some stayed out in the driveway in the partial sunlight.

Mud clung to the tires of the Mercedes and had splattered about the exterior from driving through the grass and unconditioned roads on the reservation. Unlike Emmett's Jeep that was made for wear and tear, and even appeared a bit "cool" with mud everywhere, he preferred his car to remain shiny and clean.

Emmett unraveled the house they had on the side of the house and brought it around as Carlisle soaped up a bucket.

Esme and Rosalie stood chatting by the front step, not paying an overabundance of attention to their husbands.

Carlisle did his part, soaping up the vehicle, while Emmett placed the hose down next to him upon turning it on.

"Want me to get the passenger side?" he asked.

Carlisle shrugged, "If you want to."

Emmett grabbed another big sponge that was in the bucket and made his way around to the other side.

"Thanks," Carlisle added, standing up for a moment from the way he was crouched.

"No prob," he responded back.

The two of them worked on the car for several minutes before Carlisle picked up the hose. He began to spray the car on his side, before Emmett indicated he needed it. He was about to hand it over, but looked over his shoulder toward where Esme and Rosalie still talked. A smirk crossed his face and he held up one finger, telling Emmett to wait a minute.

Immediately, he was on the same page and mouthed the words, "Do it."

Esme's back was to them, and Rosalie was positioned so her profile was facing the two of them. The women looked as if they were deep in conversation

Emmett waved his hand in his direction and tried not to laugh as Carlisle turned toward them and squeezed the trigger, sending a hard stream of water in their direction. He couldn't help but smile as Esme jumped when the water soaked her, then Rosalie followed with a similar motion.

Marshall, who Carlisle couldn't tell at the time was in Esme's arms, began to cry upon getting some backlash from some splashes off of Rosalie.

Both of their faces looked shocked, and Rosalie's initially hardened expression from being startled quickly turned more carefree and lighthearted.

Emmett began to laugh, but Carlisle tried holding back his smile with little success as the baby continued to cry.

"I'm sorry," he told Esme with a laugh he couldn't contain. "I really am. I didn't see you were holding him." He reached his arms out to take their son.

Esme's mouth still hung open partway as she cradled Marshall to her chest. She then smiled at him and shook her head in the process.

"I'm sorry," he laughed again, accepting him from Esme's reluctant arms.

"Here, go to your mean Daddy," she told Marshall, looking at Carlisle as she said it.

Rosalie looked down at her attire, then glanced at Emmett accusingly.

"Hey, don't look at me babe," he said, putting his hands up.

"I know you had something to do with it," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"No, no," he did the sign of the cross, "That was all Carlisle."

Rosalie and Carlisle exchanged a glance and they both smiled.

"Shh..." he tried to calm his son's cries and used a towel he'd brought out to dry his lightly splashed face.

"Look what you started." Rosalie continued to shake her head.

Esme nodded in agreement and wrung out the back of the tank top she was wearing.

Carlisle leaned down to try to kiss her, but she laughed and pushed him back.

"Nope," she said, shaking her head as she continued to laugh, "You've started a war."

"Ohhh..." Rosalie taunted him, "I like the sound of this." She turned toward Emmett and was about to send some lighthearted trash talk his way, but he'd found his way to the hose and sprayed her before she could.

Carlisle turned, with his hand cradled around Marshall's head, as he still gave a hearty, baby wail from the first time around. He laughed lightly again as Rosalie stormed after him. It didn't stop Emmett from continuing to spray her until she eventually wrestled it out of his hand and began to get him back.

"Carlisle," Esme said lightly.

He turned around, meeting her hand with the side of his face as she left a muddy print on the side of his face and across his ear and short sideburn.

A smile crossed his face immediately at the sight of her smile from her little prank to get back at him for spraying her with water. She then kissed him once and put her muddy hand back against his cheek. "Now, make Marshall happy."

Carlisle began to laugh, feeling it pick up in his chest as Esme allowed him to give her a few more kisses. In the process, the mud she'd left on him crept onto her face slightly and he lightly rubbed it in with his thumb.

"That's a good look for you," he teased.

"I could say the same." A big smile lingered on her face and she kissed him once more before Carlisle made his way in the opposite direction of Rosalie and Emmett who was in a power struggle for the hose.

He watched as Esme yanked the bucket from the ground next to the car and dumped the entire thing over Emmett's head, leaving Rosalie with the victory. She sprayed him in the face and the two of them laughed wildly as he eventually gave up.

Marshall's crying died down, as Carlisle coaxed him out of his minor tantrum with soothing words and some bobbing up and down. He then laid his head down on the highest part of his chest and laid there contently.

"That's not fair," Rosalie said, turning her attention away from her soapy, soaked husband to look at Carlisle. "I can't get you back when you have Marshall."

He smiled and looked down, then shrugged.

Esme approached them and began to talk sweetly to her baby, before bringing his tiny body into her arms where he quickly clung to her and rested just as easy.

Carlisle nodded, giving Esme a closed-mouth smile.

"He doesn't have Marshall anymore," she said to Rosalie.

He put up his hands and began to laugh lightly.

"Sold out by your wife, Carlisle," Emmett said, "How's it feel?"

"Hey," Esme said defensively, "_He_ started it." She pointed to the dampness of her shirt.

Carlisle eyed the second bucket of water next to the car that Esme hadn't taken to ambush Emmett. Rosalie's eyes followed his and they smiled at the same time as he made a run for it while she began to spray him with the hose.

Esme looked on, unable to hide her laughter, though kept her distance so Marshall wouldn't get anymore backlash.

Caleb and Delilah emerged from the front door upon hearing the ruckus, with Alice, Jasper and Nicole just behind them. Alexandra had since leaned out the window and was smiling as she fed details of the water fight to Michael and Mackenzie. Edward and Bella, too, made their way outside, and everyone seemed amused as Emmett stood, now shirtless, watching the ongoing war between Rosalie and Carlisle, who were equally wet from head to toe.

Esme glanced back at everyone and smiled, making eye contact with Alice, who looked eager to join in.

Emmett took the opportunity to involve a few others when Rosalie dropped the hose momentarily. He grabbed it and sent a spray of water in the direction of Caleb and Alice, getting the five of them in one shot. He made sure he kept his distance from where Esme stood so the baby wouldn't become upset again.

Alice was the first to leap over the rest of them, heading in her brother's direction while he continued to soak her.

"Come on." Alex leapt out of the window and soon everyone had become involved in one way or another.

Esme smiled and watched, being accompanied by Rosalie soon after while the rest of them carried on. She wrung out her shirt and fiddled with her hair, then nudged Esme and kissed Marshall lightly on top of the head.

"That was fun," she said, sounding out of breath with a laugh.

Esme nodded in agreement and smiled. "Yeah."

The two of them sat down together on the front step and gratefully enjoyed the lighthearted nature of their family fun.


	52. Visitation

**Sorry for delay everyone. We just redid our kitchen & are having 15-20 guests this coming weekend, so trying to spruce the house up a bit. Thanks for the patience :)**

**Chapter 52**

Alice could see that Aro's mind was back and forth about going to visit Luciana. He had been under a lot of scrutiny and stress, perhaps more than ever in his existence. His power had been question, and his coven had been compromised. Several of his henchmen were dead; other substitutes were out hunting the Romanians with such little success that he had debated just offing them out of frustration of their incompetence.

"He's still undecided," Alice said, crossing her legs as she sat down on the sofa. "I don't believe he's aware of where we're living, so we could all head up to Denali for a few days if necessary."

Esme was surprisingly not overly concerned about what Alice was telling them. Carlisle looked over at her several times throughout Alice's short discussion, but she just nodded and even flashed a closed-mouth smile at him once.

"I actually think it'll be even more beneficial if we do relocate just for a week or so, that way he won't know for sure where we are," Emmett said. "The less knowledge he has, the bigger advantage we'll have."

"Do you have any indication when we'll know for sure?" Carlisle asked. He glanced at Marshall in Esme's arms, then back to Alice.

"I'll know when he decides, but I don't really know when it'll be," Alice told him. She shrugged. "But it'll be in plenty of time for us to make a move."

"What about all of our stuff?" Rosalie asked, looking around the living room. "What if he makes a trip over here and sees all of our furniture and other things still here?"

"We've done it before," Alice said, "You know, just packed up and left."

"Yeah..." she leaned back on her hands and looked out the window as it started to rain.

"We'll go to Denali," Alice went on, "I've already spoken to Carmen, and she was totally on board."

Esme looked at Masen, "What are you going to do?"

"We'll all go with you," he told her with a nod. Leah and Cassandra both accompanied his nod with ones of their own.

"It'll be a vacation," Leah said, forcing a smile.

"Shane's never been to Alaska," Cassandra said with a smile.

Everyone seemed content with the situation, though Carlisle seemed the most visibly anxious. Esme put a hand on his knee.

"It'll be fine," she told him.

"I don't want him anywhere near you."

"Carlisle," Alice said, "This will be fine if he decides to come out here."

He glanced up at her.

"Trust me," she added, "You trusted me with our plan, and that was way harder."

Carlisle sighed, recognizing she was right. "Yeah."

"He's not going to hurt anyone, and he won't get near Marshall," Edward assured him.

"He's also considered having more children," Alice went on, surprising everyone but Edward, "I've seen him recently discussing it with Sulpicia. He's wants to replace Felix and Demetri and he's hoping that he'll have boys, or girls even, that will have comparable gifts."

Bella looked at Edward at the mention of Aro having another child. She felt a pain knowing that he might be trying to use the powers of the moon for all the wrong reasons, while she and Edward were attempting to extend their own family. He kissed her forehead and wrapped her snugly under his arm.

"Will he come after Delilah?" Caleb asked, looking at her just after. He realized he hadn't meant to be so open and bold with his question, but she didn't seem to mind.

Alice shook her head, "Caius is on another mission, and he doesn't think she's good enough at tracking." She looked at Delilah, "No offense."

"I'll purposely pretend I'm even worse at it," she told them, "And no offense taken... at all."

Carlisle looked at his son for a moment, who made eye contact with him, before Alice began to speak again.

"I just wanted this to be a heads up, that's all," she went on, "I don't want to put anyone into panic mode. We'll be alright. We won't have to fight."

"Won't he be able to see Lucy's thoughts?" Rosalie asked them.

"She won't let him read her thoughts," Alice said, "They have a deal, and it hasn't changed. He wouldn't ever kill her for not allowing him into her mind. Plus, I don't think he particularly wants to due to the... intimate nature of her and Seth's relationship. He's stopped even attempting to read her mind."

"Which means he won't be reading Seth's either," Emmett concluded.

"Right."

Emmett nodded. He looked at Esme, "I don't see a reason to worry then."

She shrugged, still fairly casual. "I agree."

Carlisle was still thrown off, but not unhappy, by her lack of worry. "We can go farther away than Denali," he told her.

Esme looked at him and put a hand gently on the side of his face. "Denali will be fine."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, then looked back to Alice for confirmation. When she nodded, too, Esme looked back to Carlisle. "We've never been steered wrong by Alice's visions. I'm perfectly content with visiting Denali for a week, or so." She looked to Alice again, "And Carmen said it wouldn't be a problem?"

"I spoke to her this afternoon," Alice told Esme, "We're more than welcome."

Edward looked at Carlisle again. "We won't be in contact with the Volturi at all. They've got bigger fish to fry with the Romanians." He turned his attention to his sister, "Right Alice?"

"Exactly," she said, "They aren't looking to pick a fight with us... right now."

"Right now?" Esme asked. Her voice sounded just slightly anxious for the first time.

"I haven't seen anything," Alice cleared up. "I haven't seen anything at all. I'm just saying, we all know how they are. Edward's right, though, their attention is fully on the Romanians for destroying their home."

"Well deserved," Jasper commented.

Emmett nodded and leaned his elbows forward onto his knees. He folded his hands and rested his chin on his knuckles. Rosalie began to rub his back.

"Will Aro be able to detect our scents in the area?" Bella asked.

"We'll have been gone for long enough where they'll have more or less faded," Alice said, "I'll make sure we have enough time to leave, and I'm not so sure he would even come here."

Everyone looked at her at the same time.

"Okay, maybe he would," she shrugged, "But he hasn't made up his mind, so why don't we just take it day by day."

"That sounds good," Esme said. She nodded appreciatively, "Thank you for letting us know Alice."

"Of course."

Edward and Carlisle kept making eye contact, appearing as though they were having a conversation inside their minds. Edward looked as if he wanted to respond to what was going through Carlisle's mind, but he didn't speak the words aloud.

Everyone sat together as the day's dark clouds covered the daylight hour's final fifteen minutes. The grandfather clock in the corner of the room began to chime as eight o'clock had rolled around.

The room darkened just slighty, leaving everyone in a quiet darkness.

Rosalie stood up and took it upon herself to switch on a light in the corner of the room. It illuminated just a portion of the room, leaving staggered shadows across everyone's faces.

"I don't want this to ruin the night for everyone," Alice told them, "We don't have any reason to be sad, or upset. The Volturi aren't coming here. Aro may or may not visit Lucy. We'll be out of the area. There won't be an issue for our family." She looked at Carlisle, waiting until he turned in her direction so she could look him in the eye. "No one is in danger."


	53. Sounds of the Rain

**Chapter 53**

Esme stood with Marshall by one of the larger windows by the front door. She soothed him with her voice, singing baby songs to him lightly and rocked slowly side to side as they both listened to the rain. It provided a soothing rhythm against the roof and the side of the house.

"Do you like the sound of the rain?" Esme asked him, breaking her song to ask her newborn son a question she knew he wouldn't verbally respond to.

Marshall laid contently against her and his innocent breaths could be heard at a human-like pace. Esme thought to herself that it was perhaps the best noise she had ever heard in her life. He looked so happy and peaceful, and she began to pray silently that he would never have to endure the type of painful ordeals that the rest of them had.

"He only breaths like that when you hold him."

Esme turned around, seeing Carlisle approaching where she stood in the dark corner of the house. He put an arm across the top of her back and looked down at Marshall, then kissed her once solidly on the lips and didn't move for several seconds. When he pulled away, he tucked his thumb and finger beneath her chin for a moment before more than happily allowing her to lean up against him.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, referring to the statement he made about Marshall's breaths.

"He doesn't breath like that when he's with other people," Carlisle told her quietly, "Only when he's with you. I think your scent soothes him; makes him feel happy."

Esme smiled at the possibility that that could be true. "Really?" She looked down at their son lovingly and sighed. "I love him so much. I hope this doesn't scare you," she laughed, "But I'll never get sick of this."

Carlisle managed a smile and laughed quietly for a second. He kissed Esme's temple and looked out into the trees as the rain continued to flow in a perfectly tranquil fashion.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "About what Alice told us?"

She nodded and kissed the top of Marshall's head, then looked at Carlisle, "Yes." Her voice was steady, and there wasn't a hint of emotion.

He looked her in the eye, "Okay," he said softly.

"I can tell you're surprised," she went on, "And I'm going to tell you why I'm not worried."

Carlisle looked at her and waited.

"Because Alice is always right."

He tipped his mouth up in a partial smile, but didn't say anything back.

Esme nodded as she continued, "I know that sounds very basic, and elementary, but after the extravagant plan the two of you went through to assure we made it out alive, I have no doubts that this will turn out exactly as she's saying."

"Are you saying you didn't trust Alice before?" Carlisle teased.

Esme smiled wide at him and shook her head. "No..."

"Mmm..."

She snickered, "I've always trusted Alice, I just... I don't know, I just have a gut feeling that it'll be fine. She would tell us if the scenario was going to be dangerous."

"Yeah," Carlisle agreed, looking down at Marshall. He let his questions about her demeanor rest, as he didn't want to talk Esme out of the good mood, and internally content feelings she had. "You're right."

"I know," she whispered, smirking just after as she did.

He smiled at her and looked at Marshall, who's steady breathing continued. "I'll leave you alone with him," he whispered as if the baby had been sleeping.

Esme looked at him, "Stay with us."

Carlisle smiled, appearing as though he had no intention of moving. He tucked his thumb and finger beneath her chin again and the two of them shared another kiss.

Esme kept her lips close to his and kissed him twice more consecutively before leaning up against him.

"I'd suggest going down to the island if Aro comes to visit, but I don't know if that would work," he told her.

She smiled and looked up at him again. "Marshall."

"I need some time alone with you." He tried to be serious, but laughed a few seconds afterwards, causing Esme to do the same.

"We do need to make time for each other," she agreed with a nod.

Carlisle kissed her again. "We will."

"It'll be nice to see the Denali family in a more relaxed atmosphere," Esme acknowledged, "I feel like in the recent years we've only seen them in times of distress; maybe once or twice otherwise."

He nodded, "Yeah. Would this count as a time of distress?"

She shrugged, "I don't suppose so, at least not at the moment."

"Yeah..."

"Carlisle," Esme said, "I know now how quickly things can happen. I spent almost two weeks thinking you were dead. I've just been telling myself to live for today, and to enjoy every second that we have together; you and I, and everyone."

He eyed the floor for a moment, but Esme placed a hand on his cheek so he would look back up at her.

"Don't feel bad about doing that," she continued with reassurance in her voice, "I just don't want to spend today worrying about tomorrow anymore. I've done that too many times, and to be honest, it's just a waste of what could have been a good day."

Carlisle knew everything that she was saying made sense. Despite her claims that she knew why he and Alice had faked their deaths in the recent past, he still felt heavy waves of guilt cross through him whenever he saw the emotion it brought out of her. He felt almost numb in the pit of his stomach when he was reminded of how much sadness she experienced. The feeling was repeated over and over when he pictured the faces of their children, and Alex's overwhelming cries when she first saw him.

"I mean, we all know I'll break my own rule on some random Thursday afternoon," Esme told him with a laugh. "You'll come home from a hunt and there I'll be... like always." She shook her head.

He looked at her as she casually, and in a teasing manner, brought out what she considered a tiny flaw. Carlisle saw her 'would-be' reaction as perfectly normal and natural. He didn't like seeing Esme cry, but he knew when she needed to and how therapeutic it could be for her, in her own words.

"You're so strong Esme."

She began to shake her head.

"I mean it," he told her, "Since the first time I met you I knew that about you; I felt that about you."

"Carlisle, you have no idea how insane I was during those two weeks. I wasn't strong."

"Esme," he told her, "You kept our kids together. They were going to have a normal life regardless of the outcome. You were there for them. Caleb talked to me about the car ride home before you got here."

She looked at him and he could tell she was beginning to get upset.

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head.

Esme maintained a closed-mouth smile and took a deep breath. She put her hand on the side of his face again. "I love you," she whispered.

Carlisle closed his eyes, still feeling pained. He wanted to talk about how hard and horrible those weeks were for him, but he felt like it was completely unjust and even borderline disrespectful to try spilling his feelings to his wife, who had gone through so much more all because of the decisions he made.

She touched her nose against his and kissed him for several seconds again. "Tell me," she urged him.

He re-opened his eyes. "I love you too."

The two of them stood together closely in the dark corner of the house by the window. They spent the next hour in near silence listening to the sounds of the rain, Marshall's breathing and the sound of Esme's voice as she continued to speak and sing to their baby in a naturally soothing, motherly voice.


	54. Baseball

**Chapter 54**

Esme sat watching the everyone play baseball down at the field that they'd made their own. She sat in the back of Emmett's Jeep with the back hatch door swung up with Marshall. Her feet dangled off the edge, though she made sure she kept Marshall tucked away from the rain beneath the roof.

She smiled every time Caleb had success, and cheered for him each time he rounded the bases. It was fun to see the competition come alive between him and Delilah, though it wasn't half as bad at the lingering tension between Emmett and Rosalie when they played on opposing teams, or similarly William and Madison. The men were far more cool, calm and collected in their demeanor while the women were fierce and quick to toss a bat hard to the side when things didn't go their way. Esme got a kick out of it every time something happened.

Marshall wiggled slightly in her arms, and outstretched his tiny hand several times in the direction of the game. He made baby noises and kept his eyes fixated on all the action that was taking place.

"What?" Esme asked him with a smile. "Baseball."

He spoke his own language back to her and continued to look slightly mesmerized for several minutes before plopping his head back down against her.

A loud crack of the bat made Esme look up again, and she began to clap. "Yeah Caleb!"

"Mom!" Alex's voice called out in protest. "You can't cheer for his team."

"Go Alex!" Esme responded with a laugh. She clapped her hands lightly, though kept her arms wrapped securely around Marshall. She then took his hands in her own and began to help him clap. "Say yay Alex!"

Caleb stood on third base and looked over at them, "Why doesn't Masen come down?"

"He's working." Alex made a face and stuck out her tongue, "He's always working. He never has fun with us anymore."

"Someone's got to," Emmett told her with a shrug, "Even Carlisle's gotten lazy in his old age."

"Lazy?" Carlisle asked, grabbing a bat from Rosalie as she handed it to him.

Emmett laughed from the outfield.

"Hit it over his head Carlisle," Rosalie said quietly to him. It was apparent that the competition hadn't failed to get the best of her.

He snickered, knowing how the two of them could be, and Emmett continued to laugh upon hearing his wife's words.

Esme continued to smile and clap Marshall's hands together while Carlisle was up. When he hit the ball, she smiled again and looked down at their son. "Say yay!"

Marshall continued to watch and go along with what she was doing before finally getting a little fussy as he struggled in his movements in her arms and began to whine.

"Esme..." Carlisle called from the field.

"We're fine!" she called back, waving her hand at him. Esme reached across the back of the car for a bottle filled with deer blood. Marshall immediately latched onto it and she tucked him neatly into the crease of her arm. She smiled at his eagerness to drink the blood, and the noises he made that accompanied his thirst.

Alex made her way toward the Jeep and hopped in through the open back door.

"Done with the game for now?" Esme asked her.

"I thought I'd spend a few minutes with my mom and my baby, baby brother."

"Baby baby?" she asked her daughter with a laugh.

"Yeah," Alex said, "Because Caleb's still the baby. Marshall's the _baby_ baby."

"This baby just smacked that ball right over your head," Caleb called from the field.

Alex looked at Esme and rolled her eyes, making her smile. The two of the shared a laugh.

"Can I hold him?"

"Of course." Esme carefully handed Marshall to his big sister, not removing the bottle from his mouth as she gently accepter him into her arms.

"Are you going to be as much trouble as Caleb is?" Alex asked him quietly, looking into his tiny black eyes. She looked up at her mother and smiled.

"You were a bit of trouble in your younger days."

"Never..."

They shared a smile, and Esme put her arm over Alex's shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. "You are so grown up Alex."

"When I want to be," she joked.

Esme laughed with her for a moment, "You are such a beautiful young lady, with a great choice of a husband in Michael. You're responsible. You look after Caleb."

"Ehh, I guess I was raised right or something..." Alex said to her mother with a smile.

Marshall slipped his mouth off the bottle and began to half-cry, half-whine again.

Esme reached into a small bag she'd packed for another one and handed it to Alex, who didn't have to make much of an effort to get him to start feeding again. He nearly took it out of her hands, but Alex made sure she had a firm grip on he bottle.

"Mom..." she started, making eye contact with Marshall.

"Yeah honey?"

"Would you be... mad if in a year or two, or even three, I don't know..."

"You want to have kids of your own?" Esme asked her, feeling that's what her daughter was leading up to.

Alex looked up and nodded. "Not now, but later... down the road."

"Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "Because compared to all of you I'm still so young."

"You're a grown woman," Esme told her, "You're married. You have experience with the world, and you've been through a lot of things."

Alex nodded and shrugged at the same time.

"Home grown... vampires do things at a very unique pace. You had to squeeze so much information into such a small amount of time, and you retained it all. You grew at a rapid pace. You're capable of things that humans aren't. We're a totally different..."

"Animal?" Alex asked with a laugh, "Or species."

"Exactly."

The each looked down at Marshall again, who had his hands securely wrapped around the bottle.

"Alex," Esme said to her daughter, "You have to do what's right for you, when it's right for you. Dad and I and everyone else will support you in your decisions... unless they involve something dangerous." A smile slowly across her face.

"I'm done with dangerous," Alex said. "I'm domesticated."

Esme began to laugh and pulled her daughter close again. "You get that from your mama. Is that the expression?"

She laughed and nodded, "Yep. It is."

Esme leaned back on her hands and the two of them watched as the game went on with most of their family members involved. Emmett and Rosalie still bickered, mostly on Rosalie's end, though he purposely egged her on. With William on his team, the two of them managed to equally get under Maddy's skin, and Mackenzie trashed talked her brother, but continuously gave her father high-fives throughout the game. She was the only member of the opposing team that Emmett encouraged.

"All girls have their fathers wrapped around their finger," Alex said with a smirk, raising her eyebrows.

"You're no exception," Esme told her with a laugh.

"Oh, I know." She nodded and laughed, too, then looked at her mother. "I'm happy to be back here Mom."

"Me too."

A loud clap of thunder rang through the air, and rain began to fall heavier onto the roof of the car.

"Last inning!" Alice called. "Me and Jasper have a date night."

"We can wrap this up now," Jasper said with a smile, looking over at Alice with grateful eyes. He hadn't managed to separate himself from her at all since they'd reunited. He even refused to play on the opposing team.

Esme smiled, glad to see that everyone was gradually getting back to normal. She loved seeing the carefree spark in her daughter's eyes, the typical competitive tension between Emmett and Rosalie, Bella and Edward's typical lovey-dovey attitudes toward each other, and the utter happiness that radiated out of Carlisle, her kids and the rest of their family when being in the company of those they loved most.


	55. A Couple of Kids

**Chapter 55**

The passing shower after the baseball game had came and went. The loud claps of thunder and lingering bolts of lightening had faded over the course of several hours, making way to a beautiful, clear night. Familiar scents of late spring stayed in the air, and Bella's continuous reminders to Edward that there were only about a month and a half away from the lunar eclipse made everyone smile, and swoon over the fact that Marshall would hopefully soon have some company.

No one had changed from their sporty, baseball attire and a majority of the group had made their way in small groups down to the beach. It remained empty, as it typically did after dark, and the Cullens were met by Jacob and Renesme, who had started a small, controlled fire next to an oversized boat that looked like it had been the victim of a ship wreck.

Emmett drove his Jeep down onto the sand, some two or three hundred yards away from where Jacob's fire was started in the distance. Carlisle climbed out of the passenger seat, while Esme, Rosalie and Alex made their way out from the back.

"Michael's already down there with your brother?" Esme asked, looking at her daughter, who was still being clingy with Marshall.

She nodded, "Yeah, he walked with Caleb and Del. Oh, and Masen and Leah are coming down."

"What about Cassie?"

"She went with Shane to visit his family."

Esme nodded and smiled as they began to walk.

"Couldn't have parked closer?" Rosalie asked, looking a Emmett with a grin.

"I don't feel like yanking the Jeep out of the sand tonight when it gets stuck," he told her, adjusting his slightly muddy baseball hat. "At least the sand's a little more compact on this side of the beach."

As they got closer, Esme smiled as she heard Jasper already beginning to tell some form of an urban legend, or ghost story. Alice smiled beside him, and the fire light gave him an eerie appearance as he leaned forward.

Caleb got a glimpse of his parents approaching and slid a bottle behind the piece of wood he was sitting on in the sand. Nicole glanced over at him and smirked, quickly realizing that Alex had been the only one to see the bottle of alcohol he was attempting to sneak.

Esme reached out for Marshall as Alex sat down next to Michael, but she shrugged and smiled at her mother. "Can I keep him?" she asked in a whisper.

She laughed lightly. "Sure. But let me know if you need a break."

Alex nodded.

"Let's hear some more of the story Jas," Caleb said, nodding in his direction.

"I heard it differently out in Europe," Delilah said quietly to him, not realizing she had set herself up for a tease from Jasper.

"Well, I suppose you should take my place if you think your version is better," he said from across the way. A smirk lingered on his face and Alice shook her head when she realized that Delilah was unsure if he was kidding around or not.

"Cut it out," Alice said, slapping him on the back, drawing a laugh from her mate. "Delilah, he's just being mean."

She laughed and looked at Caleb who tucked her closely against him.

"Where are William and Madison?" Alice asked, looking up at Emmett and Rosalie.

"Their house," Rosalie said with a shrug.

"Movie night or something lame," Mackenzie told them. She smiled and leaned back on her hands in the sand.

"When are Masen and Leah expected to show?" Alex asked.

Jacob smiled, "They should be here soon."

"We might go for a walk down the beach," Rosalie said, "Mackenzie, do you want to come with us; or does anyone?"

Mackenzie looked around, "Nah. I'm still waiting to hear the rest of Jasper's story." She raised her eyebrows at him, "So many rude interruptions."

He smiled at her, and Emmett nudged her with his foot, making her laugh.

"We'll be back in a bit," Emmett told them, "Text me if Masen's not here in fifteen minutes or so. We'll making a pit stop by his house."

Caleb smiled and pulled out his phone. "I'll text you."

Esme handed Alex a bottle when she saw Marshall stir a bit. She had engrained in her mind what his movements looked like and aggravated noises sounded like when he needed blood.

Jasper's eyes followed the bottle, and hunger immediately filled his expression. In the same way that Esme had her son's movements mesmerized, Alice knew Jasper.

"The end of the story will have to wait," she told them all with a smile. "Come on Jas. Let's see if we can hunt something down in the area in time to make it back before everyone leaves." Alice looked at Jacob, "If you don't mind us hunting on Quileute territory." A smile crossed her face.

Jacob smirked, "It's a two deer limit per bloodsucker."

Rensesme eyed him and Jacob laughed. "He knows I hate it when he uses that term."

Alice quickly fluttered to her feet and got Jasper's attention. She grabbed his hand almost elegantly and smiled, "Jasper."

He looked over at her and nodded.

Nicole laughed at her father's change in demeanor, but recognized her own thirst. Seeing as though she'd hunted just before the baseball game, she felt fine.

"I've got to get him another bottle," Esme said. She reached into the hooded sweatshirt she'd been wearing since the baseball game and pulled out two more, handing them to Michael.

"He's fine," Alex said nonchalantly.

Esme looked down the beach. She couldn't quite see the Jeep, but knew she had at least one more in a bag in the bag seat.

Alex smiled at her mother, "Overprotective."

"How is this overprotective?"

"He has three bottles," she said, still grinning, "He's fine. Sit down, relax. Listen to what's going to be Jacob and Caleb's terrible ghost story."

Jacob made a face, "Pshh, Alex. I'd give you nightmares with my storytelling... if you could sleep."

Carlisle put his hand on Esme's back, "Let's go to the car and get the bottle."

Alex shook her head, "I'll put him to sleep if he needs it."

He shook his head, "We'll be right back."

"Okay, on with the ghost story," Jacob said, "Ready Alex?"

"Ready." She smiled wide and made a silly face toward Michael, who laughed and set the baby bottles down neatly in the sand.

Caleb waited for his parents to disappear down the way before he looked around and reached for the alcohol.

"You little sneak," Alex said to him.

He put his finger up to his lips. Delilah shook her head and Michael grinned.

Esme appeared to be on a mission to get the remaining baby bottle for Marshall, but Carlisle tugged on her hand to slow her walk.

"He'll be fine for an extra five minutes," he told her with a smile. A wave crashed up onto the beach and he moved up onto the sand a few feet to make sure his sneakers wouldn't get wet.

Esme grinned back at him and nodded, acknowledging that he was right. "Caleb had a bottle of wine behind him," she said, shaking her head.

"I know," Carlisle told her. He managed a laugh. "We'll call him out on it later."

"Any punishment?"

"Taking his mother's place in cleaning the house."

"You know I won't be satisfied until I put my own personal touch on it," she said with a laugh.

"Should we go easy then?" he asked, smiling at her.

Esme nodded, "Only because of all that we've gone through recently."

Carlisle nodded back.

"But that doesn't mean off the hook," she emphasized to him.

He nodded again and snickered, pulling her close up against him. They walked hand in hand up to the vehicle and Esme propped open the large door at the rear of the Jeep, spotting the leftover bottle from the ball game earlier right away.

Carlisle tapped the open doorway with his hand, "Front row seat to the best baseball game in Washington."

Esme smiled, hopping in as he spoke to reach Marshall's baby bottle. "That's right." She looked over her shoulder as he rested his hands on the top of the frame. "You look cute in your baseball clothes."

Carlisle laughed and Esme spun around.

"Ready?" he asked, reaching a hand out.

She nodded and took his hand as he spun around to help her out. Instead, she pulled him back, making him turn around.

Esme put the bottle down to the side and grabbed him by the collar of the open, button-down baseball jersey.

Carlisle snickered again, hearing her do the same before his lips met hers in a playful, passionate fashion.

"Is there a way to-" he began to ask, but Esme had already predicted the rest of his question. She broke apart from him for a moment and reached over the top of the seat, successfully pulling the back down so it rested at a more horizontal position. She then pulled him back to her, feeling his own urgency begin to rise as he pinned her beneath him in the now extended back of the Jeep.

"They won't miss us," Carlisle told her between a pair of short breaths, sensing she was about to speak. He pressed his lips back against hers and Esme slid her hands down toward his hips.

Before she could do anything else, she glanced for a brief second at the open back door, then toward the light on the ceiling of the car.

Carlisle's eyes flickered open, and he reached up to turn the overhead light off, the swiftly removed her sweatshirt and the t-shirt underneath.

"Why do you wear a belt when you play baseball?" Esme asked him with a short, out-of-breath laugh. She finally managed to free it from around his waist.

Carlisle kissed her in between every couple of words in his next sentence. "So my pants don't fall down when I run the bases."

She began to chuckle lightly at first, then started to laugh as he did. As their laughter died down, the two of them took a moment to give each other a look before carrying on.

While Esme felt her emotions pulling at her just slightly, she felt far more carefree and normal in her cute, spur-of-the-moment approach to pursuit Carlisle. As predicted, neither of them were missed all that much by their children, who were beginning to appreciate the freedom of being separated from their parents just a little more as time went on. She smiled to herself at the irony that the children weren't the only ones acting like teenagers.


	56. Scary Stories

**Chapter 56**

"So there's a scratching sound coming from the roof of the car," Michael said in a low voice, drawing a giggle from Nicole across the fire.

"What?" he asked with a smirk.

"Your accent," she said, "It's a scary story, but your voice is just so..." she shrugged, "Alex, help me out here."

"So... cute?" Alex asked, then found the right word, "Adorable; that's it."

"Yes." Nicole began to nod, and the two of them shared a laugh.

Caleb, Delilah and Mackenzie began to laugh lightly, and Michael gave Caleb a glance.

"I'm sorry," he told him with a heavier laugh.

"We're suppose to be on the same team Caleb," Michael said, "Against the girls."

"Against the girls," Nicole said with a laugh, teasingly mocking his English accent.

"Oh, when you ladies get to the wine..." Michael shook his head and smiled at Alex, then began to laugh.

"Speak of wine," Alex said. She waved her hand in her brother's direction and he took a swig from the bottle before reluctantly handing it over.

"Keep going," Mackenzie told him, "I've never heard these ghost stories before." She wiggled her fingers in the air as she spoke.

"Caleb, do you know the rest?" Michael asked.

He nodded and reached across for the bottle from his sister. She handed it back and he took another sip. "Yeah, so the girl stays in the car and boy goes for help and she begins to hear this scratching sound on the top of the car."

"It's not a scratching sound," Delilah told him, "It's a drip... drip..."

"No," Caleb disagreed, putting his face close to hers.

She looked him in the eye, and they both remained serious for a moment before he cracked the first smile and continued on with the story.

"No Masen yet huh?" Emmett called, strolling back hand in hand with Rosalie.

"Nope," Caleb called out.

Nicole looked over her shoulder as they approached, "Well... they _do_ have a free house with Cassie out of town." She smiled and Emmett raised his eyebrows and glanced at Rosalie.

"We should have done a ding-dong-ditch run," he told her with a snicker.

She began to shake her head as the two of them sat down next to Mackenzie and Nicole.

"You know, when you ring the doorbell and-"

"I know," Rosalie told him with a laugh, "I know what it is."

"Where's everyone else?" Emmett asked.

"My dad went to hunt," Nicole said, "He was grilling Marshall's bottle. It's been awhile."

Alex smiled as she still sat with her baby brother.

"What about Esme and Carlisle?" Rosalie asked.

"They went to go get Marshall another bottle," she told her.

"About an hour ago," Renesme said with a laugh.

"Not an hour," Caleb protested.

"Forty-five minutes."

"Where are _your_ parents?"

"Right here," Bella said with a laugh, coming literally out of nowhere with Edward in tow.

They all sat chatting for a few minutes, before Caleb attempted to get the rest of the story out, though the number of silly interruptions didn't allow that to happen. Within just a minute or two of each other, Carlisle and Esme returned, as well as Alice and Jasper.

"Well, that wasn't too bad," Alice said, perching herself back onto the original stump that she sat on. She looked at Jasper, who appeared satisfied to a certain degree.

"I could have had another two or three," he said aloud, then smirked at her.

"Jasper, why don't you finish your original story," Caleb told him, "Since no one wants to hear the one that Michael and I were trying to tell."

The girls looked at each other and shared smiles, before Jasper shrugged and continued.

Esme sat beside Alex and took Marshall back.

"Where's the bottle?" her daughter asked.

"Oh, um..." Esme looked around, realizing quickly that she forgot it in the car, then to Carlisle who quickly pretended he wasn't listening to what they were saying.

Rosalie glanced at them and laughed lightly, and Emmett flashed an overdone wink in Carlisle's direction.

"Alright," Jasper said, "Where was I in the story?"

"The car was parked in the middle of the woods..." Alex said.

"That's what I said," Michael and Caleb said at the same time, immediately making Nicole, Alex and Delilah laugh.

Alex put her hand on Michael's face and teased him, "But Jasper tells it a little scarier."

Esme laughed at the look her son-in-law's face, and enjoyed the light hearted teasing that went on between the two of them.

Caleb's eyes shifted once or twice to the bottle of wine, causing Carlisle and Esme to make eye contact. She grinned at him out of the view of their son, then shrugged lightly and looked down at Marshall against her chest. He smiled as he faced the opposite way of Caleb, then straightened up a bit and looked over at him. He gave him a single pat on the back.

Caleb smiled and Carlisle reached across him, grabbing the bottle of wine. He didn't say anything, and his demeanor wasn't at all angry.

"Hmm..." Emmett said thoughtfully. He glanced at Caleb, who then looked back at his father.

Carlisle held the bottle in front of him and read the label, running his thumb across it before setting it back down in the sand in between where he and Caleb sat.

Edward and Bella looked at each other with smiles, as Carlisle turned to Esme with a wink and the two of them looked as if they wanted to laugh over Caleb's now concerned expression.

Jasper finally was able to continue with his story, and everyone eventually got into it, sending a chain reaction of similar stories to go out amongst the rest of them. As the night went on, Carlisle caught a glimpse of Alice's blank stare, that he soon recognized that only Edward had picked up on. Jasper didn't even see to realize yet.

The two of them exchanged a more serious look and waited for Alice to snap out of her vision-daze.


	57. Constant Visions

**Made another movie trailer for part 2 of this story: you tube dot com /watch?v=Y4eRM7IC8WQ Check it out if you're bored :)**

**Chapter 57**

Jasper turned as Alice snapped out of her vision, and it took him a second to realize whether or not she'd had one. Edward's body relaxed slightly, and Bella had now turned to him, though mostly everyone else was still paying attention to the folklore-style storytelling that was still going on.

Carlisle asked the question in his mind: _Edward, what is it?_

Edward tried to appear light in his expression as he made eye contact with Carlisle. He nodded his head and shrugged, then slinked back just slightly and pulled Bella against him.

Esme was fully focused on Marshall, and hadn't picked up on all the unspoken communication.

"I'm going to go back and get that bottle for him," Carlisle spoke lightly into her ear.

She looked up and he kissed her on the cheek before she could protest one way or another. He then tucked his finger and thumb beneath her chin and winked, making her smile.

Edward stood up and stretched his arms above his head. "I'll take the walk with ya."

"If you two are gone for an hour looking for that bottle," Emmett said, "We're going to all have to sit and have a long talk."

Esme and Bella began to laugh, as did Rosalie. Edward snickered and looked at Bella. "I'll be right back."

The two of them headed down the beach, and Esme glanced over her should at them for a moment, assuming now that they were probably looking for the opportunity to talk about something. She didn't let it worry her, though looked over toward Alice for a moment. She quickly turned her face from a day-dreamy focus to a big smile.

"What did Alice see?" Carlisle asked Edward quietly, as they had distanced themselves far enough away so the fire was barely a speck in the distance.

"It's alright," he told him, "She keeps seeing Aro changing his mind about what to do. They've gone on quite the human hunting spree, looking for replacements of Demetri and Felix, but they've been killing off most of them almost right away because they find them useless. She thinks it's more of a matter of frustration than anything else."

"That's unfortunate," Carlisle said, shaking his head as he opened the back door to the Jeep. He reached in and grabbed the bottle that Esme had intended to get earlier then slammed it shut. "Is there anything involving us in what she's seen?"

"He seemed to have been toying with the idea of coming here to see Lucy, but he changed his mind again according to what I saw in her thoughts."

"That was the entire vision?"

Edward nodded, "Nothing... bad. Well, nothing that will effect us in any way."

Carlisle nodded back and looked out toward the ocean with a thoughtful expression. He turned his focus back in the direction that they'd come from at the same time as Edward, and Alice appeared.

"Great," Edward said with a smirk, "Now everyone's going to start to worry that something's up; Bella, Esme..."

"Probably," Alice agreed with a laugh. "Esme did look a little concerned when I ran over here to "get my sweatshirt" from the car."

Carlisle grinned at her, but it was half-hearted, "Nothing's wrong?"

"No." She shook her head, "We're fine." A deep sigh left her mouth, "I've just been overwhelmed lately trying to keep a constant check-in on Aro. He keeps changing his mind, so I have these vivid visions constantly; even more than normal. Jasper doesn't even get particularly worried anymore. He just waits for me to give him the latest Aro verdict. I haven't brought them to anyone's attention because there's really nothing happening."

"I'm sorry Alice," Carlisle said to her, "I'm sure it's a lot to have to deal with."

"A small price to pay for our safety," Alice told him sincerely, "I just don't want you guys to worry so much lately if I'm dazing out; because worst-case scenario is that we all go to Denali for a week. I'll know in plenty of time to leave the area undetected."

Edward placed a hand on her shoulder sympathetically, and she forced a closed-mouth smile.

"Let's get back before everyone starts to worry about what's going on," Carlisle said.

"Especially after the last plan you guys came up with," Edward said with teasing accusation.

Carlisle took a deep breath, "That's why I want to get back."

Alice began walking in the opposite direction and they both stared at her for a moment.

"I have to get my sweatshirt," she told them, "I can't go back empty handed."

Edward nodded and Carlisle stopped and waited for her to rummage around in the car, finally finding what she was looking for.

The three of them walked back to where the rest of them were still sitting, though things were just slightly more quiet and serious.

Esme looked at Carlisle as he sat back down next to her. He handed over the bottle and took Marshall from her arms.

She didn't ask, but he knew she wanted to know what the three of them had talked about.

Everyone's eyes were slightly curious, so Alice decided to break the silence as she threw the sweatshirt up over her head, "I had a vision, and it wasn't anything to worry about. Edward obviously picked up on it, and Carlisle did too. I've been having visions constantly of Aro. Like I told them, it's becoming like an overload because he can't make up his mind. He's not coming here, but worse-case scenario is that we go to Denali. Nothing's changed, so if you see me in a daze, that's probably all it is. If anything changes, I'll bring it to your attention."

No one spoke for a few seconds, and then Edward broke the silence.

"I've seen it too," he said, "Not that we don't trust Alice..." A smile crossed his face, and Jasper finally let a grin spread across his face. "Esme, don't worry."

She smiled at him across the way and Carlisle brought her an inch closer to him, placing his hand on her inner knee and pulling her toward him.

Alex stared at Edward, as did Caleb. They both still looked concerned and slightly on edge.

"Guys," Alice said, "I'm sorry. I don't want to kill the mood, or ruin the night. I know in the recent past we had that extravagant plan, but that was the first time in... ever, that I've ever had to lie like that. I'm not lying, and I apologize for having to do that, but please trust me. I wouldn't keep something of importance from any of you."

Delilah linked her fingers through Caleb's, and he continued to stare at Alice.

"I promise," she said, looking back at him.

He nodded, then smiled as she made a silly face in his direction. A few others laughed, Nicole included, and everyone's tense posture seemed lighten up at the same moment.

Marshall began to cry, pushing the half empty bottle from his mouth, and Carlisle smiled and stood up.

"Shh..." he whispered, slowly walking a little away from the fire as he tried to talk soothingly to the baby.

"Psst!" Emmett said, drawing a look from Caleb. "Pass that bottle this way kid."

Caleb began to chuckle lightly, and passed it to him, then looked at his mother.

"We're going to have a little talk about that," she told him, raising her eyebrows.

Caleb didn't say anything. He looked back into the flames and picked up a sea shell that lingered in front of his foot.

"You got him in trouble," Rosalie whispered to Emmett.

"Sorry buddy," Emmett whispered, then glanced at Esme, "Sorry Mom."

She tried to remain stern for a moment, but couldn't help but smile at Emmett's child-like expression.

"Okay," he said, rubbing his hands together, "My turn for storytelling."

Esme looked over to where Carlisle stood out by the water with Marshall. His open button-down baseball jersey was being tossed by the wind around his lower torso. Their son's cries had died down, but he was still fussy from what she could hear.

She put a hand on Alex's shoulder, "I think we're going to take Marshall back home. He's had a busy day."

Alex nodded, "Okay. Want us to come with you?"

"No, no," Esme assured her, "Have fun." She looked around at everyone, then to Emmett a final time, "No wine." She then looked at Caleb with more seriousness.

Rosalie scooped the bottle away from her husband and handed it to Esme, "I'll have my eyes on them... all of them."

She smiled, "Thank you."

Edward snickered, always finding it humorous when Esme put on her serious mom face. He pulled Bella closer to him and she smiled back at him.

"Want to take the Jeep back?" Emmett asked.

"We'll be okay walking. Thank you, though."

He nodded, then started to tell the beginning of his story.

Esme made her way over to Carlisle, who had apparently heard her conversation with the rest of them and outstretched his free hand. She took it, clinging closely to his side, as they two of them made their way back down the beach, and headed for home.

"You'd tell me if something else was happening, right?" Esme asked him, suddenly feeling a knot build up in the pit of her stomach.

Carlisle turned to her and stopped. "I'm sorry for ever lying to you," he told her, "And I'm sorry that it's making you wonder if more is happening that I'm not telling you, but I promise you that's all Alice saw."

"I knew something was up when Edward followed you."

"I just wanted to find out what Alice had seen. I picked up on it in her expression, and Edward could obviously read her thoughts."

She nodded.

"I'm sorry Esme," Carlisle said again, "I know I've left things out in the past... big things. But, it was only because-"

"I know," she said, silencing him. "You don't have to explain. I love you. I just want to make sure that you, and us and the kids and Marshall will be alright."

He looked her in the eye, "We're alright."

Esme stared up into his eyes and could see that there was no underlying pain, or grief in his stare. "I love you."

"I love you too." He leaned down and gave her a kiss, seemingly to completely ease her troubled thoughts.

Esme rejoined her hand with his and leaned against him as they stepped off of the beach at La Pushe and crossed over soon after into their land.


	58. Summer's Eclipse

**Chapter 58**

A month and a half had gone by with no out of the ordinary disturbances. Luciana had continued to tell her father that she did not wish to speak with him, or see him, leaving Aro to remain in Italy.

Alice's visions had died down after Nicole contributed to seeing a rather large falling out between the two of them in what appeared to be a final phone call; at least for the time being. Luciana was always so confused and upset that she and Seth spent the later half of the spring mostly to themselves. It wasn't until the eclipse rolled around again in July that they showed up at the Cullens doorstep to let them know of their support.

Sue and Esme had rekindled the close nature of their friendship, though Esme didn't go into detail about what happened with Carlisle and Alice. She knew Sue had experienced the loss of her husband, and while she was happy with Charlie now, she didn't want to go down that road or bring up bad memories. The two of them mainly chatted about Seth and Lucy's well-being, Cassie's developing relationship with Shane, and of course the rest of their children.

Though the fourth of July had passed recently, they decided to throw a festive get-together with just a few people to celebrate the eclipse. It had become something that was always on their minds, and both the Cullens and Quileutes found a reason to give the day some recognition. It was through a little luck and the Quileute storytelling that allowed the vampire couples to have children in the first place. The nights of the lunar eclipses were something truly brought their two cultures together, and aided in completely mending the previous feuds that had lasted for generations.

When Seth and Lucy finally resurfaced at the Cullens' house, everyone made sure they were welcomed with open arms. Esme gave them each a big hug, sincerely expressing how much she missed their company. While Lucy looked very hesitant and anxious at first, Esme's open-armed welcome quickly made her feel perfectly at home as she had been in the past. She mentally acknowledged that their family never judged her, or even associated with her in any way to Aro. It was something she was extremely grateful for.

Seth, too, opened up right away and began socializing with the boys. They both got to know Caleb again, as he was now an adult like the rest of them. Sue and Charlie couldn't believe how old he appeared, but were somewhat used to the out-of-the-ordinary growth spurts of the Cullen children.

"And this is Marshall," Esme finally said, seeing Sue was already beginning to play with his curious, outstretched hands.

"Hello Marshall," Sue said back.

He reached and locked his hand around a few of her fingers.

She laughed and looked at Esme, "He's so strong."

His tiny hand released her fingers and she looked down.

"Oh no," Esme said, "Did he hurt you? I'm sorry."

"No," Sue told her with another laugh, "It's just unbelievable." She continued to stare adoringly at the baby, "He looks like you so much."

"You think?"

She nodded, "Yes. I can see it in her the most. Caleb, too. His hair darkened a bit since I've seen him last. He has that same light brown, caramel color that you do."

Carlisle and Charlie were talking just off to the side and Esme smiled, guiding Sue past them so they could join in with the rest of the party.

"Charlie's retiring," Sue told her.

"What!" Esme said with a grin, "Really?"

She nodded, "He's going to work through the summer and retire in the beginning of October."

"That's great," she told her, "Are you both excited?"

"We've got a vacation booked already," Sue told her, "I managed to get him to agree to go somewhere hot and tropical with me. I mean I love it here, it's home, but it'll be so nice to get away from the dreary rain and the clouds for two weeks."

"I completely understand," Esme said. "So, where are you planning to go?"

"St. Martin."

"Oh, that'll be so nice."

Sue nodded again, "Nothing but sun, sand and some bottomless pina coladas."

"Sounds like paradise to me."

"It can't come soon enough."

The two of them shared a laugh, and their husbands soon joined them. Esme almost laughed out loud as Charlie took a swig from a bottle of beer. She kept picturing him with a little umbrella sitting at the top of the bottle, and him sporting a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. For whatever reason she couldn't get the image out of her head.

Carlisle looked at her, sensing from the crease in her eyebrows and smile smirk that she found something humorous. It made him crack a smile, despite not knowing what was going on in her mind.

"Hey Dad." Bella walked up to him and he gave her a long hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"It's great having you back home Bells," he said. "I know it's been a couple months, but it wasn't the same here without you."

"I'm glad to be back." She smiled and nodded, "So, what would you think about being a grandpa again?"

Charlie raised his eyebrows, not opposing, but caught off guard from the question. Edward and Sue both laughed, and Carlisle and Esme each shared a somewhat amused smile.

"Well... yeah... sure," he said, then added, "Why?"

Bella looked around at everyone, "Well, Edward and I have been... seriously considering it."

Charlie took a small swig from his bottle of beer, "That would be good. Another grandchild. Yeah."

"So you're on board?" she asked him with a smile, nudging him in the arm.

"On board."

Sue laughed lightly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll have another great addition to the family."

"I hope so." Bella looked at Edward, who glanced at the clock upon having mapped out the exact moment that eclipse would be occurring later in the evening. She then looked back at Charlie, "So are the rumors true?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"You're retiring?"

A small smile crossed his face, "I think it's about time I hang the boots up, yeah."

Edward and Carlisle both smiled. "You deserve it," Edward told him with a nod.

"Thank you, Edward," Charlie said.

"When's the official date?" Bella asked him.

"In the fall some time," he said, then looked at Sue, "Around the beginning of October."

"Yeah, get out before the Halloween season," she told him with a laugh.

"I've pulled enough toilet paper out of trees," Charlie said dryly, but found humor in his own joke with a half-smirk.

Both Edward and Bella chuckled, and Sue looked at them each with a wide smile.

Marshall began to squirm in Esme's arms and she looked at Carlisle.

"I'll go grab a bottle," he said, making his way out of the room.

Edward could see that both Sue and Charlie were wondering what it was the Caleb fed on. While they both assumed blood, Carlisle's casual description of the bottle made them each wonder and second-guess their original thoughts.

"I'll be right back," Esme told Sue, as Marshall continued to fuss.

"Oh, take your time," Sue told her. "Leah always gave me a run for my money."

Esme laughed, "More than Seth?"

"_Way_ more than Seth."

The two of them shared a laugh and Esme met Carlisle about halfway across the room to give Marshall his bottle.

Charlie wanted to ask what was in the baby bottle, but he subconsciously already knew and didn't want to be rude by asking out loud.

"They all feed on blood," Edward finally said, "The kids too."

"Unless they're like Renesme or Cassie," Bella added, "Then they can eat human food."

"Human food," Charlie said aloud to himself, almost not realizing he'd said it. The concept still seemed to blow his mind, as he wasn't particularly comfortable in the immortal world if things strayed from the human-like façade that they all constantly put on.

"And it's animal blood," Bella reinforced.

"They don't even crave human blood because of our diets," Edward added.

Charlie began to guzzle his Bud Light, making Sue raise her eyebrows in his direction. "You're not retired yet officer," she told him with a light laugh, "Slow it down."

"Sometimes I wonder if I've just gone mad," Charlie said. He looked at Bella for a moment, before they cracked smiles at the same time.

"Well, if it's any consolation," she told him, "You haven't."

As the night went on, Esme was glad to see Luciana opening back up to the family. Jasper and Alice were over friendly in their interaction with her, and the others reminded her that nothing had changed between them.

It wasn't long after the guests began to make their way back to their own homes that Bella and Edward made their way down to their cottage, with words of encouragement from the rest of their family members.

Rosalie gave Bella her final hug with a quick, "Good luck," and they knew the outcome was in the hands of fate.

...

Aro had warned Caius about the potential "dangers" of having children. He'd expressed concern when it came to have feelings for the child's well-being and how he or she would come first above all else. While Caius didn't whole-heartedly disagree with his brother, he was convinced that any spawn of his would be much like him, or his wife.

The two of them had made arrangements with their mates, putting their human feeding frenzies on hold, as well as their mission to destroy the Romanian coven, who had long since fled their home country. They knew the powers of the eclipse could very well play into their own strengths. The search for talented new vampires through the destruction of humans hadn't gone the way they planned. And so, Plan B they had begun to put into effect given the full moon's lunar eclipse state.

"Here's to... family," Caius said, raising a glass of delicious, red blood he'd poured fresh from a disposable human soul.

Aro smiled and tapped his glass with his own, "And the expansion of it, indeed."

They each drank, then parted ways to carry out the rest of their evening with their wives. Eagerly, Jane and Marcus, along with others, played their role in granting wishes. As in similar fashion with the Cullens, only fate would decide what would come of the evening.


	59. Strong For the Family

**Chapter 59**

Masen sat behind Carlisle's desk, and after rummaging through the drawers, he finally found the letter he had never opened from his father. It was from years ago, around the time Alexandra was born, and for reasons previously unknown to him he had never unsealed the envelope. What Masen realized at that moment, is that he had been scared to read what could have been final words or love, or wisdom, or a little bit of both. He didn't want to know what Carlisle's final thoughts were, because he didn't want to envision his life without him. Unwillingly, he now knew what that felt like, and so he tore it open and began to read it.

The words were carefully written, and printed perfectly across the page with precision that matched that of a novel. No one word tailed off at the right hand side of the paper. The sentences were all aligned in unison without flaw.

Masen felt his eyes tear up at just the second sentence in. He had yet to let the feeling get the best of him. He had to be strong for the rest of his family just after the fight had taken place, and then again when he went to rescue his brother. He hadn't let things get the best of him in front of his mother, and up until the point that they realized that Carlisle and Alice were alive, he had let the sadness brew into anger and hatred for the Volturi. Had the events really taken place, there would have been a time that he would have rounded up his brothers and sister, the wolves or whoever was on board to overtake them.

His eyes continued to race back and forth as he continued to read, and felt almost badly for allowing himself to internalize so much anger. Carlisle's words in the letter were so expressive of the opposite of that, and he knew that he had to let that hatred go, even if just a little bit, so he could get himself back to neutral.

Tears dropped onto the bottom of the page and Masen dried his eyes. He knew it was silly, but he didn't want to cry in front of Leah or Cassie. Equally so, he didn't want to cry in front of his mother or Caleb and Alex.

Carlisle walked past the open door to the office, then doubled back and stood in the open doorway. "Hey Mase."

Masen straitened up and stood abruptly, drawing a loud scrape on the hardwood floor from the chair. He had assumed that everyone had gone down to catch the fireworks, or were elsewhere preparing for their wishes for Edward and Bella. He hadn't realized that his father returned to the house.

Carlisle immediately recognized that his son was upset and crossed into the room. "What's going on?"

"Huh?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. "Oh, nothing."

The two of them stood in silence for a moment and Carlisle noticed the letter on the desk in front of his son. "What's that?" he asked.

Masen decided not lie. He knew he couldn't come up with a false explanation on the spot. "It's your letter."

Carlisle looked confused for a moment until he flipped the envelope. Right away, he remembered writing 'Masen' across the front of it in a black marker years before. He remembered the day, the hour, the specific timeframe that he wrote it.

"You're re-reading that letter?"

Masen shook his head, "I never read it."

Carlisle gave a slight not, and had a somewhat thoughtful expression on his face.

"I was always kind of... afraid to," Masen admitted. He sighed just after and rounded the desk, then sat on top of it facing his father so his legs dangled in front of him. "I never wanted to know what it might feel like to lose you. I didn't want to hear your last words to me. I didn't want to accept that it could have been a reality, so I just never read it."

"I understand."

He shook his head, "I think sometimes I have this problem letting things out. I never want Leah to see me cry; or Cassie, or Mom."

"Masen," Carlisle said, "I know how you feel, and I know you're strong for your family, and for your mother, but you know everyone's here for you. It's alright to let things out that are on your mind."

Masen nodded to his father and hopped off the desk. He felt his eyes begin to get the heavy feeling they'd had just a minute or two before and he hugged him hard.

Carlisle hugged him back and heard him sniff in. They both simultaneously patted the other on the back.

"I'm lucky to have you as a Dad," Masen told him. "I can't bring myself to accept the idea that you might not be around one day. I'm really glad you guys moved back here. It felt empty. I know Leah and I have our own thing going on a lot, but just knowing you're right here down the street gives me this sense of comfort, ya know?"

"I know," Carlisle told him, "It was hard to leave; harder than ever before. This is the place that we've all called home together. Our circumstances aren't like they once were."

Masen pulled back and wiped a stray tear from his eye and sniffed in again.

"You know that your mother and I," he started, "We love you very much; and Cassie and Leah."

"You don't have to even tell me that. I know that. We all know that."

"I just wanted to say it," Carlisle went on, "Because I know after you there was Alex, then Caleb and now Marshall..."

"Dad," Masen snickered and smiled, "I know you don't love one of us more than the other. You don't have to explain anything."

He looked down and nodded.

Masen sighed again in a decompressing fashion. He wiped his eyes another time, the smiled.

"Want to go catch the fireworks?" Carlisle asked him.

He looked up. "Yeah." Masen crossed back and folded the letter up and put it back in it's original place in the desk drawer.

"Any time you need to talk," his father said, "I'm here. Let it out."

"Okay. I love ya Dad."

"I love you, too, son."


	60. Which Wish

**Hey all. I coach softball at the high school I work at and we just started this week so if I'm behind on my updates, that's why. I am already slacking on my end of cooking dinner with my boyfriend haha. So please bear with me :)**

**Chapter 60**

Esme and Rosalie sat across from each other at the kitchen table, each mindlessly playing a game of war with a deck of cards. Noon had passed, and there was still no word from Edward or Bella. They waited anxiously for an answer to the question that was playing in everyone's minds.

The guys were much less stir-crazy. They went about their business as usual, but had the thought in the backs of their minds.

"Why don't you two just go over there?" Emmett asked, passing by Esme and Rosalie.

They stopped their conversation and Rosalie looked at him. "No. They have to come to us."

Esme nodded in agreement. "It's only a little after noon. They'll be here soon."

"It's like gossip city over," he said with a chuckle.

"We're not gossiping," Rosalie exclaimed, "We're discussing the possibility of... possibilities."

Emmett leaned his elbows on the table, "Want to go down for the parade later tonight?" he asked Rosalie.

She scrunched up her nose. "I'll think about it."

A smile spread across his face, and then hers.

"Alright," he agreed.

"No, we can go," Rosalie quickly told him, "I like walking down the docks, and even the smells of the fried dough, and popcorn and all those things kind of add the summer feel."

Emmett nodded, "Almost good enough to eat?"

"Not exactly," she said with a laugh.

Esme snickered at their interaction.

"Why don't you and Carlisle join us?" Rosalie suggested.

"We'll see," she said with a smile.

"Can I call Edward?" Emmett asked them, looking for some type of permission.

"Oh, _we_ want the gossip huh?" Rosalie raised her eyebrows.

Carlisle entered the room as Emmett was beginning to fiddle with his phone. He held Marshall in one arm and gave a thumbs up to the three of them.

"What?" Esme and Rosalie both asked.

He shrugged and re-emphasized the gesture with a sheepish grin.

"Are you talking about what we're talking about?" Emmett asked. He motioned to the three of them at the table.

"I think I'm talking about what you're talking about," Carlisle told him with a laugh. He turned his head slightly as Marshall grabbed his ear, wincing a bit from his increasingly strong grip.

Esme smiled at him and Carlisle winked.

"Are you talking about Edward and Bella?" Rosalie blurted out.

He nodded, then returned his attention to Marshall, purposely being nonchalant.

"So it worked?"

"Marshall, what are you doing?" Carlisle asked, nearly having to pry his son's hand from his ear again.

"Carlisle..." Rosalie persisted. She was now leaning off the chair in his direction.

"Huh?"

Esme smiled and shook her head, then looked at Rosalie.

"Can I slap him again?" Rosalie asked.

Carlisle snickered, "Edward just sent me a text message. I'm sure Alice has known for longer than she's lead on."

"Where _is_ Alice?" Emmett asked, looking around. "How ridiculous is it that I didn't even think to ask her?"

"She's out with Nicole," Esme told him, "I already sent her a handful of text messages myself."

"So... then it's a yes?" Rosalie asked, waiting for him to say the actual words.

"Yeah," Carlisle said.

She smiled, then looked at Emmett. "Another baby, yay! I think we are more than entitled to have all these babies after eighty or ninety years without having the ability to."

"Are you going to try to steal her, or him, like you did with Renesme?" Emmett teased, swatting her ponytail with his hand.

Rosalie whipped around, then smirked at him. "Possibly." She looked at Carlisle and motioned for him to hand over Marshall, "I suppose it's just what I do."

Carlisle laughed and gently handed him to her. "Be careful. He's overly interested in necklaces and just grabbing whatever's in his way."

"Like this," Emmett said, giving a light tug on her hair. He smiled at Esme as Rosalie scowled at him. "I'm in a teasing type of mood."

"So, are the kids coming back soon then or what?" Esme asked. She looked at her husband.

He shrugged, "He didn't say."

"Let's go see if that house is still standing," Emmett said. He held up a hand as if to high-five Esme.

She looked down and laughed, then reluctantly gave in and slapped his hand with her own.

Rosalie continued talking lightly to Marshall, and played with his tiny strong hands. He did as Carlisle warned, and reached for her necklace, then her nose and strands of loose hairs that hung around by her face. She laughed at each attempt, and gave in once or twice to satisfy him.

"Babies, babies, babies," she said with a smile. "Stay the size you are Marshall."

Esme smiled at their interaction and loved how wide-eyed he still was at everything that entered his vision.

"So, which wish did you guys go with?" Emmett asked.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked him.

"Like... I wish for the to have a baby, or I wish for what you and Esme have."

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other, and Rosalie turned to look at Emmett.

"The first one," Esme said.

"Yeah," Carlisle agreed with a nod.

"That's what I wished for," Rosalie said.

"Gotcha," Emmett said back to all of their responses.

"Em..."

"What?"

Rosalie raised her eyebrows, "How did you phrase your wish?"

"The same as you guys..." His voice sounded slightly unsure of what he was saying.

The three of them looked at him skeptically.

"What?" Emmett asked, switching his gaze from Rosalie, to Esme and then Carlisle.

Rosalie half-smiled, "Oh boy."


	61. Second Time Around

**Chapter 61**

Edward and Bella accepted their congratulations from the individual members of the family. _Someone's_ wish had worked; it was just too early to tell who's. Emmett, while denying he had altered his wish at all, was suspected of wishing the two of them the same circumstances that Carlisle and Esme were handed.

Through Emmett's thoughts, Edward could see that his brother was even confused with the way he worded the wish. While this called for some teasing from other family members, neither Bella or Edward were unhappy.

"So can we guarantee this won't be a repeat of the last time?" Bella asked, half-kidding, as she looked toward Carlisle.

He smiled, "I assure you it will go much more smooth."

"That's all I need to know." She smiled back at him and put a hand over her stomach, then looked at Edward. He, too, was grinning ear to ear and kept giving a childish giggle every so often without much control over the action.

"There must be something lucky about the Fourth of July weekend," Alice said to them with a shrug and a smile. "I'm pretty sure it was around the same time that Alex was conceived."

"July second," Esme said, holding up two fingers.

"July sixth this time," Alice told them.

"Maybe it's not the moon," Jasper said, "Maybe it's the fireworks."

Edward and Emmett both laughed lightly, and everyone else seemed to be amused by Jasper's joke.

"Does Nessy know?" Rosalie asked, looking at Bella, then to her brother.

They both nodded.

"And?"

"She's cool," Bella said with a casual nod.

Edward snickered and pulled her into him, kissing her temple.

"I love how Bella's so naturally modern compared the rest of us," Jasper said with a laugh, referring to her response.

"Oh, like this one doesn't talk just like that," Rosalie said, pointing her thumb in Emmett's direction.

"I'm always up to speed with the times," Emmett told them, "I had the "I'll be back" line from the Terminator down back in the early nineties. Rose, remember my sunglasses?"

"How could I forget?" she said with a smile, but shook her head.

Esme laughed, whole-heatedly remembering Emmett's infatuation with the Terminator movies decades before.

"Remember I scared that kid that one time?" he asked, laughing wildly at his own reminiscence.

Rosalie looked at him for a moment, then chuckled. "None of them would even know what you were talking about anymore. It's this new generation."

"Sad but true," he agreed, slightly pouting his lower lip.

"Boy or girl Alice?" Mackenzie asked.

"Wait!" Bella said, beginning to put her hands over her ears. "I don't want to know yet."

Alice smiled and pretended to zip her lip.

"But you do know?" Bella asked.

She nodded, and made the same gesture. "I'll keep my lips sealed until you say otherwise."

Everyone took a turn congratulating the two of them, and their happiness radiated out and touched everyone else's mood.

Carlisle, in particular, was still overly glad to see Edward in his highest moments. The images of him from the past still crossed through his mind at times, though since finding Bella his smile had gradually become more dominant over the engrained scowl that used to linger on his face so often. Now, unless in times of crisis, he ways almost always happy.

"Edward," he called him over and the two of them shared a handshake first, and then a hug. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Carlisle." A smile continued to decorate Edward's glowing face.

Eventually the house settled down, and a small group went with Emmett and Rosalie down to where the parade would be taking place that evening.

Esme and Edward sat chatting in the living room, each passing Marshall back and forth to one another. Carlisle sat reading in his office, and Bella took the opportunity to go speak with him.

She knocked the on the frame of the door that he kept open and he looked up, immediately placing the book face down on the desk.

"Is everything alright?" Carlisle asked Bella.

She nodded and looked over her shoulder, feeling as if Edward would be swooping in to see if something was wrong. When he didn't, she felt a little relieved and stepped into her father-in-law's office upon the wave of his hand in her direction.

Bella approached where he sat, and then just came right out with what she needed to talk to him about. "Carlisle," she said quietly, then paused, "I've obviously been around when everyone else has had children, but as far as the whole process goes... is it difficult at all? Has it ever been a difficult procedure?"

Carlisle gave a half closed-mouth smile as Bella looked over her shoulder again. He could tell she didn't want to worry Edward just by her conscious body language.

"Every vampire birth that has been in my hands has gone very smoothly," he told her sincerely, though kept a light feel to his voice. "I don't foresee any problems, and I know Alice has already seen the future for both of you."

Bella flashed him a small smile and nodded, "I'm excited... like really excited; it's just after the last time I can't get certain images and feelings out of my mind." She shook her head, "I know it's stupid."

"It's not," Carlisle assured her, "What you went through with Renesme was very traumatic, and it's perfectly normal to feel anxious about going through another pregnancy. Just know and remember that physically, you're a completely new you. You're body will be compatible with your child's this time, and I don't foresee it being anything like the last time."

Bella nodded and smiled, already feeling better. She almost managed a light laugh because of how professional Carlisle sounded in his responses. It added to her comfort and contentment, but she was now so used to seeing him and knowing him outside of the hospital atmosphere.

"Plus, Masen or Caleb will be there to take away any discomfort," he added, "If you wouldn't mind having one of them up at the head of the bed near you during your delivery. That would be totally up to you."

She laughed, "Oh, trust me I'll be asking for their assistance."

Carlisle chuckled and nodded, then looked into her eyes and spoke with seriousness, but again kept his tone soothing and soft. "You'll be fine, Bella. I promise you this experience will be a much easier one."

Bella nodded again and eyed the floorboard beneath her socks. She then looked back up at him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

She looked over her shoulder a final time, "He can probably hear us, but don't tell Edward that I'm a little nervous. I don't want to ruin the moment for him."

Carlisle smiled and nodded, "I'm a doctor. Confidentiality belongs to the patient."

The two of them shared another quick laugh before Bella thanked him again and made her way back out of his office. She felt much better after getting his honest opinion and was now ready to strictly enjoy the thought of being a mother again.


	62. The Way You Look Tonight

**Chapter 62**

"Mom," Caleb said, leading Delilah by the hand, "Would it be alright if we went down to the local parade and meet Emmett and them down there?"

Music played from a small I-Home player on the counter, and Esme looked up from where she was sweeping small amounts of dirt into small piles on the kitchen floor. She saw the eager look in her son's eyes, and could see that Delilah was avoiding eye contact as they awaited her answer.

She nodded, "Sure. As long as you're responsible."

They both nodded back. "We will be," Caleb assured her.

"Don't move around too fast down there." Esme gave them a smile.

"No problem." He approached and kissed her on the cheek. "So, what did Emmett wish for? With Edward and Bella?"

She snickered, "I don't know. He says nothing different, but Rosalie suspects he may have wished for them to be able to have children at any given time."

"Yay!" Edward called with happy sarcasm from the other room.

The three of them shared a quick laugh together, but Esme called into him, "Edward..."

"I'm kidding," he called back.

"Better be," Bella's voice said quietly.

Esme chuckled and returned her attention back to Caleb and Delilah, "Have fun. Just call me when you get down there please, and let me know if you catch up with Emmett and Rosalie."

"And Mackenzie and Nicole," Caleb reminded her.

"And the two of them," she agreed with a nod. She hugged him, "Be safe honey."

"We will."

"Thanks," Delilah said to Esme. The two of them exchanged a hug next and then the kids headed for the door, saying a quick, cute goodbye to Marshall, who sat with Edward while Esme straightened the house up a bit.

Carlisle made his way into the kitchen upon having a few words with Caleb before the two of them left the house in his car.

"I made the executive decision to let them go," Esme told him with a smile, sweeping the broom over the kitchen tiles.

He laughed lightly and approached her and kissed her without saying anything back.

Esme was pleasantly surprised by his action and kissed him back, slowly at first, but got wrapped whole-heartedly in the moment when her mind caught up to her body. She only stopped when she heard the handle of the broom smack against the floor, as she didn't realize she'd released it to wrap her arm around the back of Carlisle's neck.

He laughed again when Esme jumped from the sound and kissed her once more, then bent down and picked it up off the floor. She took it from his hand, then placed it against the countertop that her back was now pressed against.

"I just wanted to tell you that I love you," Carlisle said, "And that I appreciate everything you do for me, and for us and our family."

She smiled, "I love you."

The two of them shared another kiss and Carlisle began to playfully kiss along her jawline and down her neck before Esme started a happy, giggling laughter.

Bella had Marshall in an upright position, standing on her legs as she sat on the couch. His hands were locked around her thumbs and he was smiling as she played a little game of bobbing him and down.

"We should all take a trip down to Isle Esme," Edward said to Bella in a quiet whisper.

She turned to him and smiled and the two of them both heard Esme and Carlisle continuing to laugh and be flirty with one another in the other room. "Good idea," she whispered back, then returned her attention back to Marshall. "Do you think he would be alright on the plane?"

"William and Maddy went on one when they were kids."

She nodded, "I think it would be good for everyone."

Edward's phone went off and he looked down to read a text message from Alice. _I have some ideas on that._

He snickered to himself and Bella glanced down where the phone sat in his hand. A wide smile formed on her face.

Marshall released one of Bella's hands and reached his arm out toward the phone, seeming to be drawn in by the illuminated screen and entertaining noises. His knees bent just slightly and he looked like he was struggling to reach it.

Bella laughed lightly and tried to take his attention away from Edward's phone as he began to text Alice back. She ran a hand over Marshall's head, playing with the strands of angel-thin baby hair. A smile remained on her face as she heard Carlisle's voice singing lightly along to the words of a Frank Sinatra song from the other room that was coming from Esme's I-pod.

Esme couldn't contain her small bouts of laughter as her husband kept her body close to his and lead the two of the through a fun dance together to Frank Sinatra's _The Way You Look Tonight._

Carlisle smiled wide as he began to lip-sync the words now, then carefully twirled Esme around before pulling her back to him, stopping for a moment so they were face to face, before grinning again to get back to the more upbeat pace of their dance. Every now and then he would tease her, pulling her lips close to his, but never initiating any contact. When he would continue singing, rather than kiss her, Esme couldn't contain her girlish amusement and it made her want to kiss him more.

In the midst of their dance, Carlisle reached a hand and gently swiped it across one of the light switches on the wall, creating a dimmer lighting in the kitchen.

"I'm no Sinatra, but..." he said with a shrug.

Esme giggled again, recognizing that she hadn't felt so light on her feet in a long time. In the three minute or so that the song had lasted, she didn't have a care in the world. It made her forget everything except for the man in front of her.

"Frank's alright," Esme told him. "But I'd rather dance with you."

"Am I a better singer?"

She grinned and laughed, "I wouldn't go _that_ far."

Carlisle laughed back and finally brought his lips against hers. The two of them spent the last few seconds of the song unable to part from one another.

"We should do this more often," Esme told him, "Dancing."

"I like to be... spontaneous once in a while."

"Hey, um..." Edward said, entering the room with a smile. Bella stood next to him with Marshall.

Carlisle and Esme moved just slightly apart, but she continued to lean up against him and his arm was around her shoulders.

"What are you guys planning on doing next week?" he asked

They looked at each other and Esme shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so. Why?"

Bella handed them Edward's phone. "We booked you a flight."

Esme took the phone from her hand and Carlisle glanced down.

"We can't," she said, shaking her head.

"Marshall's going too," Edward said, "And us."

"The ticket quantity says two," Esme told him, pointing toward the screen.

"We're going to be heading down there the following day," Edward told them, "With Marshall. And whoever else wants to go." She was about to protest, but he put up a hand, "It's non-refundable."

"You two go," Carlisle told them, "And we'll come down the following day."

Bella looked at Edward, then back to them and slowly shook her head. Edward snickered and looked at the two of them, "It's also non-negotiable."


	63. The Weather

**Chapter 63**

Esme had a difficult time parting ways with Marshall, but Edward teased her and told her that she would be seeing him again in twenty-four hours. He tried to butter her up by reminding her of how she would be arriving paradise in just a few short hours, and that a handful of their family members would be joining soon after.

"I packed three bags for Marshall," Esme told him, bobbing her son up and down in her arms. "They're up in our room right in front of the closet."

Edward laughed, "Okay."

"Three bags?" Emmett laughed.

She playfully scowled at him, "He needs a ton of bottles, and clothes. Little swim trunks that Masen used to wear."

Emmett hugged her and slung one of her bags over his shoulder, "Have fun Mama. You deserve to."

She smiled and lead the way toward the car where Caleb was helping Carlisle pack the back seat with a few things. He was asking questions about the island, and what to expect when they arrived there. The excitement in his voice couldn't be mistaken, and he seemed eager to have the freedom to roam around outdoors during the day without having to hide.

Delilah stood by his side and looked equally excited, thanking Carlisle repeatedly for allowing her to go down there with them.

"I've never really been to a tropical, nice place like that," she said, unable to keep a smile from her face.

"I'm sure the two of you will have a great time," he assured them.

"No one else will be around?" Caleb asked, "Aside from us."

Carlisle nodded, "That's right. You can roam around, hang out in the sunlight; hunt some new animals."

"Awesome."

Esme joined them, and Caleb reached for the baby in her arms. She knew she had to give him up eventually, and slowly handed him over.

"Come on Marshall," he said, who easily slipped into his brother's arms.

Esme still lingered just a few inches away, kissing his tiny forehead and playing with his hands. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Marshall looked up at her with big eyes and made a few noises, making it harder for her to make the move into the car.

Carlisle joined them, talking similarly with their son, before Edward and Emmett began to tease both of them.

"It'll probably be less than a day," he told them, "He'll be in good hands."

"That's too long," Esme said, continuing to stroke his hair.

Carlisle looked up and exchanged a smile with Emmett.

"I guess we know who the favorite is," Caleb joked. When Esme looked up at him about to protest, he began to laugh. "I'm just kidding."

Several minutes went by before she finally managed to part ways with her children, and Carlisle opened the passenger door to his Mercedes so she could climb in.

"See ya in paradise," Emmett said with a friendly wave goodbye.

Caleb waved his baby brother's hand in their direction, before Carlisle pulled the car out of the driveway and headed to the airport.

Throughout the car ride, and the plane ride, Esme was in constant communication with someone in their family, mainly Caleb. She knew she wasn't suppose to use her phone while on board, but every now and then she would sneak a quick look, or text someone something. Her sneaky antics made Carlisle laugh, and she would smile every time he would catch her sending an undercover message.

By the time they reached the boat, Esme was far more relaxed. She had managed to keep her phone in one of the bags and enjoyed the feel of the wind that danced off the ocean. The air was so different off the coast of Brazil than it was up in the northwest corner of the States.

While Esme couldn't wait to get into the house, and onto the beach, she had been enjoying the boat ride so much that she hadn't realize how much time had passed until the island came into view.

Carlisle spun around and pointed into the distance, making her smile.

"I can't wait for Caleb to see this place," she told him, "He's going to love it."

He nodded in agreement, then cut the engine to the boat and eased up to the dock.

Esme helped him get the boat tied, then rounded up their belongings and looked up as only a few stars were visible in the darkening sky.

Carlisle didn't take the time to go wander the island with Esme, as they typically did whenever the arrived. He didn't care about taking advantage of the rapidly fading sunlight, or how beautiful the ocean might have looked from the top of one of the tall rock faces that they liked to climb up. All he wanted was Esme.

"If we ever have to relocate again can it be here?" she asked him with a smile as they approached the house.

Carlisle opened the door for her, "That sounds like a good idea."

Esme continued to smile and glanced around at the almost foreign atmosphere. "Yeah, let's just stay here for awhile."

He laughed and she placed one of their bags down on the floor before they wandered around toward the kitchen. She glanced down at her watch, that read nine o'clock in Forks time and made a face. "No chance for a tan today," she joked, "I was hoping to get down here for some sun."

"I wasn't." Carlisle grinned wide, making her laugh and didn't at all hesitate to pull her tightly against him.

Esme immediately locked her lips with his and felt his hands hook firmly under her legs just above the knee as he lifted her so she sat on the countertop. Her eye level was still perfectly aligned with his and they never failed to part lips from one another.

Carlisle began to run his lips down her neck, though stopped near her collar bone as he felt the strength of one of his hands beginning to crack the marble countertop.

Esme sighed and tugged lightly on his hair, catching his lips with hers again. She felt him sigh into her mouth, but he stopped again. "I'm going to break the counter," he told her, "I wouldn't care much but everyone's going to be here tomorrow. I won't be able to replace it in time."

She looked into his wildly black pupils and linked her arms around the back of his neck. "Okay."

Carlisle scooped her up and carried her to their room, picking up where he left off once they got there. The two of them embraced the moment and each other without reservation and made sure to cover every loving, lustful and grateful feeling they had for one another.

Ironically enough, raindrops began to decorate the rooftops above them and it wasn't until they laid silently wrapped up in one another that Esme noticed and gave out one quiet laugh.

"We come all the way from Forks, and it's raining _here_," she said. A smile formed on her face as Carlisle pulled her against him a little tighter. Esme looked over her shoulder as much as she could without attempting to change the way they were laying.

He kissed her shoulder several times and laughed back just as lightly, then cleared his throat. "It'll be sunny by the morning. Just a passing shower."

Esme let her eyes drift out the panes of glass that made up most of the double doors that opened onto the patio. The light, patting sound on the roof intensified and she finally turned to face Carlisle with a full smile. "This is Washington-style rain."

He put a hand on her face, "This is tropical rain."

Esme slunk back down against the pillow and shuddered as his hand slowly traveled the length of her back. She then brought her lips back to his. "I hope it doesn't rain when Caleb gets here."

"It won't," Carlisle assured her, brushing her hair back away from her face.

Esme sighed and decided to stop talking about the weather. She glided her hand along his hip bone, then crossed over to his lower back, prompting him to move back on top of her as she guided him.

"Enough about the weather," she told him.

Carlisle snickered and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her hands along his bare back. His shoulders shrugged slightly as a reaction and felt Esme kiss him before he could reopen his eyes. He kissed her back whole-heartedly, then felt compelled to work his way back toward the base of her neck.

Esme sighed and pulled him close, not thinking about the weather again for the remainder of the evening.


	64. Back to Neutral

**Chapter 64**

Close to a full day had passed and though it took some self-persuading, Carlisle and Esme managed to leave the house for most of the morning and afternoon. Like he had predicted, the sun had come out in full force and the two of them took advantage of the everlasting rays of sunshine.

They spent hours in the ocean and lingered by one of the island's many waterfalls. They took some time to build a sand castle, attempting to make it resemble their home in Forks, but laughed every time it fell apart or came out not at all as they had hoped.

Eventually they made their way back inside, eager to take advantage of the small amount of time left they had to spend some intimate time alone. Esme finally felt that they had been given the time they needed to get things completely back to normal in their relationship.

Carlisle's phone began to buzz, and he realized quickly that Alice had sent a text message stating that they would be arriving in the area soon. He knew he had to go meet them at the dock in Brazil so their family members could join the two of them on the island.

"Where are they?" Esme asked. She laid under the covers in bed on her stomach with her arms folded under the pillow she was laying on.

Carlisle sent a quick message back to Alice, then placed the phone back on the nightstand and rolled over to kiss her before answering. "She said they'd be arriving at the dock in about forty-five minutes."

Esme scrunched her nose and made a disappointed face, then laughed as he smiled. "I'm just teasing. I'm glad they're almost here."

"Alice also said I'd be late arriving." Carlisle kissed her again, making her laugh.

"What's that mean?" Esme asked him.

He shrugged and looked around the room, then shifted his eyes back to meet hers.

She ran her fingers down the muscular lines in his chest, then slid her arm around the back of his neck.

Carlisle kissed her solidly on the lips and closed his eyes. Esme contributed in making it last, then kissed him several more times in a row.

"I wish everyone slept," he said with a laugh.

"Why?"

"Because then I could lock us in a room and have you stay like this with me every night."

Esme laughed, knowing he was referring to her lack of clothing when he said '_like this'_, as he ran a hand down her body and planted his lips against hers again. "Maybe that can be your next lunar eclipse wish."

He snickered and bowed his head as he now lingered above her. He then looked her in the eyes again and whispered, "I love you."

She put a hand on his face, unable to keep a smile from her own. "I love you too."

Carlisle moved forward just an inch or two and kissed her once more.

"Go pick up the kids," Esme told him.

He shook his head, making both of them laugh lightly. Carlisle began to pursue her more passionately with his mouth until Esme reluctantly placed her hand on one of his shoulders and guided him back slightly. "We can't keep them waiting."

"The sun will be down again by the time they reach the dock," he protested with a grin, "So what's an extra ten minutes?"

"Alice can probably see that you're saying all this," Esme told him with a slightly longer laugh.

Carlisle continued to laugh with her and attempted to mildly progress the situation, before deciding it was only right to make the trip out there. He leaned back and reached for his shorts and t-shirt on the floor next to the bed.

Esme began to do the same, but he stopped her. "Stay here. Relax."

"I'll come," she told him.

Carlisle threw his clothing on, and shook his head, then made his way around Esme's side where she still laid. He leaned over her and kissed her again. "Lay here for awhile; shower, get dressed; go for a swim. Whatever you want to do, do it. I'll be back soon with the rest of them."

Esme looked at him, thinking his plan sounded overly relaxing and peaceful. On the other hand, she wanted to be next to him and near him. She didn't want him to be out of an arm's reach away.

Carlisle sat down on the edge of the bed and gently placed a hand on the side of her face before she could say anything. He took a moment to run his hand through her caramel waves of hair that flowed over the white pillow case, the placed his hand back against her cheek. She covered his hand with her own, making him give a half-smile.

"I don't want you to go," she said quietly, but smiled as she did.

"Me either," he said with a laugh.

Esme sat up and kissed him chastely at first, then upped her level of passion. "Being here with you just does something to me," she told him in between their heavy kisses.

Carlisle smiled, sliding his hand from her face, down the side of her neck and shoulders to her back and surprised himself from the moan that left his mouth.

She laughed and pushed him away, "I'm sorry. I'm teasing you. Go get them."

He snickered and sighed again, sneaking in another kiss before he stood up and took a deep breath.

"Text me when you get them so I can be sure to get dressed," Esme told him.

He nodded and couldn't keep himself from giving her a kiss at every chance he got. "Want me to run some water for you in the tub?" he asked.

She shrugged and he grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes." Carlisle stood up, "I'll be back in a minute."

Esme sighed, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He held up a finger, signaling he would be back in a minute and Esme laid back down. She sighed happily and looked around the room, and out onto the patio. The day was coming to a close already, and she could see the sun in the distance as it was settling in for the evening.

Water began to run in the bathroom, as Carlisle prepared her bubble bath. Esme laid and waited for him to return, and smiled when he re-entered the room.

"Whenever you're ready," he told him.

"Thank you," she repeated, letting the appreciation linger in the tone of her voice.

"You're welcome."

Esme tugged on the base of his t-shirt and he leaned down again, kissing her once more.

"I'll be back soon," Carlisle told her.

"Okay." She played with the collar of his shirt, then they shared a smile before he headed for the boat.

Esme laid comfortably for a few minutes, and heard the sound of the boat's engine as Carlisle got it started. She closed her eyes and listened to everything that was going on around her. Birds chirped, the small rolling waves from the ocean crashed up onto the beach, the roar of the engine continually faded until Esme could barely hear it anymore. Aside from that, there was nothing; just the solitude of the island.

She looked toward Carlisle's side of the bed and smiled, deciding it would be to both of their benefits to make the bed before anyone arrived. She slowly climbed out of bed, throwing on the fun, summer dress she had been wearing earlier, then did a quick change of the sheets before making the room look quite flawless.

_Relax._ The word ran through her mind and she headed toward the bathroom, rummaging through her bag for her I-pod first, then selected a mellow, modern song and slunk into the tub, taking advantage of the few minutes she would have to herself.

Esme finally felt like she was fully back to normal.


	65. The Left and Right Side

**Chapter 65**

"Isn't this wonderful," Aro gushed, appearing blissfully happy on the surface.

Sulpicia could see right through the hiss in his voice. She knew her husband wasn't elated because they were bringing a child into the world. It was all a part of his plan for power, and for replacing the members of their coven that they had lost. She hadn't minded his intentions much, it was the fact that he was playing her like she was a fool that made her twitch with the tiniest bout of anger.

"It's a miracle in it's own right," she said back. Her tone was dry, but she smiled at him after she spoke.

"Indeed." He had been constantly over her shoulder since finding the news that she was with child.

Sulpicia sighed, noting that he hadn't spent this much consecutive hours with her in the eternity that they'd been together. Not to mention, she looked the other way on account of Luciana, whom he continued to create lopsided, false stories about. For whatever reason, she wasn't particularly mad about his infidelities, or jealous in any way. It was the fact that he thought he was outsmarting her that made her mad.

Still, she recognized her own intentions for allowing him to court her in the first place, and she couldn't deny that she loved being a dark queen in the underworld that was virtually untouchable. Sulpicia knew of her own selfishness, and fully recognized how much she loved having others waiting on her hand and foot. It was her personality that made her a compatible match with Aro. It was why she didn't argue, or fight with him at all.

Aro stood before his wife, and had images running through his mind of a dark prince, with a unique gift that could potentially be born in just a short month. He had a passing thought of Alice, wishing he had someone of her ability to give him an indication of what was to come.

_Such a waste of an irreplaceable talent_, he thought, reminded of her death. He was reminded of the Cullens, and his last visitation with them. He began to wonder if they were still living in the Minnesota home where he read all of their hopeless, mournful thoughts. _Perhaps back in Forks? Without Alice, they would never see us coming._

"Aro." Sulpicia's voice caught his attention and snapped him back to reality.

"Yes, my dear?"

"I'm not at all experienced in what this is supposed to feel like," she told him. She reached for his hand and placed it on one side of her stomach. The restless child moved immediately under his touch.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked, pressing his eyebrows together.

"I don't believe there _is _a problem."

Aro was visibly confused. He let his show in his facial expressions and posture.

Sulpicia moved his hand to the other side of her stomach, that had only the slightest, little bulge. There was another movement under the palm of his cold, white hand.

Neither of them said anything, and Aro's confusion remained. He went to reach for her hand to read her thoughts, but she pulled back.

"Why are their movements on either side of my stomach?" she asked him.

"The baby would move quite quickly, I would imagine," Aro concluded, "Even inside of the womb."

Sulpicia shook her head, and he reached for her hand again. He wanted to know what she was thinking.

"Aro," she said, again not letting him into her personal thoughts. He rarely fought her when she refused, and it didn't appear as though he was about to at that moment.

"Do tell me what you're thinking."

Sulpicia looked at him, securing one of his hands on her right side, while her own lingered on the left. "I believe there is more than one child that I'm carrying."

Aro looked into her eyes, and waited for the punch line, but let his curious expression slowly spread into a devious, closed-mouth smile.

While the two of them didn't actively watch a lot of television, his facial features at that moment reminded her of the Christmas cartoon _The Grinch._ Pleased was an understatement. Aro looked downright on top of the world.

"Twins?" he asked, "Is that what you're saying?"

She kept her chin held high and nodded. "I do believe that is the case."

Aro looked at her a small flutter of laughter left his mouth. He then put his hands together beneath his chin, and turned his back on his wife. A wider smile formed on his face and he began to laugh, bouncing his shoulders up and down without having control over it.

"Two children," he said aloud. His happy laughter continued and spun back around to face Sulpicia. She still sat with her hands on her stomach, and her expression was still flat. She didn't show emotion one way or another over the revelation.

"My dear, do you know what this means?" he asked with a smile, "We're the first vampire coupling to be blessed with twins; two children at once."

She managed a smile, "I wonder what gender they'll be." She began to get a small itch of excitement at the thought of a boy and girl, but tried to let it pass, knowing Aro would surely be molding them to his liking, rather than allow her to bond with them.

"A pair of boys would be splendid," Aro told her, "They could sit beside us for all of eternity... I wonder what special abilities they might be born with." He placed a hand partially over his mouth thoughtfully.

Sulpicia smiled part way and looked back down at her stomach. She then looked back to her husband, whom she could tell was daydreaming from the far away look on his face and the smile that accompanied his expression. A sigh left his mouth, as he peered through some of the stained glass that blocked them from the outside world.

"Twins," he said to himself lightly. "Twins."


	66. Find Your Beach

**Chapter 66**

The Cullens all toasted to their family, to Edward and Bella, and to their happiness. Caleb and Delilah were almost awestruck by the beautiful nature of the island, and joked about not returning to the eternally rainy Forks.

Carlisle had shown the two of them every inch of the island, while Esme stayed back with Marshall and played with him in the water. Bella and Edward had both constantly been in her company, much to Esme's delight. She knew Bella had an extreme case of 'mommy fever' and was eager to play with Marshall at every chance she got.

Alex and Michael, along with Masen and Leah, had stayed back in Washington. Esme knew that her daughter had wanted some alone time with her husband, and didn't at all question them wanting to stay back the way Carlisle had. As a mother, she knew that the two of them wanted some time to themselves, a notion that completely flew over Carlisle's head.

He'd asked them a hundred times why they didn't want to come, and if they were sure that they wanted to stay back. It was only when Esme began to laugh, and felt bad for her daughter that she finally reached out to her husband and told him a little white lie that Michael was going to be working with Jacob on some upcoming automotive projects.

Masen, on the other hand, actually did stay back to work, though Leah looked lightheartedly displeased that they weren't going to be making the trip. Both Carlisle and Esme, however, let them know that any time they wanted to make a trip on their own, or again with some of the others, that they were more than welcome to do so. Their eldest son had promised his wife that he would take some time off to let them escape from life for a week or so.

Esme still waded in the shallow water with Marshall, as Edward and Emmett got a small fire going as dusk approached.

Bella sat on the sand where the waves brushed lightly up against her toes. Alice sat next to her and the two of them sat chatting about her upcoming baby.

"Do you know what it's going to be?" Bella asked.

Alice looked at her and nodded. The two of them looked over their shoulders at Edward, who wasn't at all paying attention to their conversation as he threw a few more logs onto the fire.

"Can you tell me?"

Alice laughed, "I think he's pretending that he doesn't know," she told Bella quietly, "But he has to be able to see my thoughts."

She nodded, "Yeah. Damn him..."

The two of them shared a look and laughed quietly.

Edward turned around and looked at Bella, who smiled and waved, making him laugh.

"You're too nosy," Alice told him, raising her eyebrows as she leaned back on her hands and continued to look over her shoulder.

He put his hands over his ears.

"Go hunt with Jasper."

"He left awhile ago," Edward said.

"Well, go hunt on your own then," Bella chimed in with a laugh.

"We're not interested in your girl talk," Emmett assured them with a grin, "Edward can't help it that he can read everything that's going through your mind."

"Listen to the boys team up," Esme said from the water. She smiled at the two of them.

"We'd be eaten alive by you women if we didn't," Emmett teased her.

"No pun intended on that one right?" Alice asked with a laugh, "Eaten alive."

He snickered, "No pun intended."

"Where's Rosalie?" Bella asked, looking at the two of them.

"Somewhere with the kids," Emmett said, "She wanted to show the girls the biggest waterfall or something."

"Nicole too?" Alice asked.

"Shouldn't you know what already?" Edward teased her.

She stuck her tongue out at him and Emmett nodded to answer her question. He then disappeared toward the house for a moment and returned with some chairs. Edward followed his head and the two of them gathered enough seating arrangements so everyone could sit around the fire.

"It's kind of ironic how often we do this, when fire is virtually the only thing that can completely destroy us," Emmett said, making himself comfortable. He sat back and outstretched his legs in a bright green Adirondack chair and placed his hands behind his head.

"You look like you're in a Corona commercial," Alice told him with a laugh. She stood up from where she sat, prompting Bella to do the same.

"Find your beach," he told them, bringing out his dimples in full force.

The two of them laughed and Esme made her way out of the water to join them.

Edward handed her a pair of towels. She wrapped Marshall up in one, and slung the other around her waist, then sat down next to Emmett.

"How do you like the water little man?" he asked, reached over to slick back his small amounts of hair.

Marshall looked at him with wide, golden eyes and latched onto the bracelet around his wrist.

Emmett snickered, and let him explore the accessory he often wore until he finally got bored of it and let his eyes drift elsewhere.

Esme sat him on her lap so he faced the fire, and the rest of them, bouncing him up and down every so often.

"So, what's going to be Bella?" Emmett asked, "A boy or a girl?"

Edward looked at his brother, then to Bella and linked his hand with hers. She smiled and shrugged, "I don't know."

"Come on," he said, "You have to have a feeling."

"I was completely wrong last time," she told him with a laugh. Her eyes drifted to meet Edward's, "Do you know?"

He smiled and shrugged, then looked at Alice.

"You _do_ know," Bella said with a wide smile.

"Damn him," Alice said, echoing Bella's previous comment regarding her husband's mind-reading ability.

Her words made them all laugh together for a moment before Bella gave in and sighed. "I want to know."

Edward and Alice continued to exchange glances.

"I really do," she went on, "Tell me. Alice..."

She looked at her brother again, then sighed, "Alright."

Esme and Emmett both looked eager to know what she would say. The two of them fixed their gaze on Alice, and Edward snickered as the two of them were suspecting opposite results. Esme was leaning toward a baby girl, while Emmett had his suspicions that this time it would be a boy.

"Should we do a drumroll or something?" Alice asked.

Bella laughed, "Tell me Alice."

The two of them smiled as they made eye contact and Alice sighed. "Fine." She paused for an extended couple of seconds. "You're going to have a..."

"A what?" Esme asked, making Bella snicker as she asked just a second before she could.

"A baby..." Alice smiled, "...boy."


	67. A Minute or A Thousand Years

**This will be the last chapter/ending of this story. I hope it somewhat keeps people thinking. Always like to end them on a high note. :)**

**Chapter 67**

_Three weeks later..._

All had happened as Carlisle promised for Bella. Her second pregnancy experience was far easier and more positive than the first. Masen had taken the initiative to take away her pain, and Charlie was grateful for his contribution. Now that he was in the loop of the supernatural world, he was able to be present for the birth of his second grandchild, along with Sue. While he chose to wait outside the room, he was waiting anxiously in the hallway with his wife at his side. The second he heard the baby cry, he was the first to rush in the room, seeming to overpower the natural quickness of his non-human counterparts.

The non-pained look on Bella's face made him both confused and happy. She looked far too casual to have just had a baby, but he didn't mind how the elated glow on her face was there in place of the anguish that typically went along with the delivery of a child.

"It's Masen," Edward told him with a smile, upon reading his thoughts, "He takes away the pain."

"Yeah," Charlie said dryly, then managed a smile at his son-in-law genuinely upon feeling content with their situation. He openly felt and appeared more comfortable this time around, and now that he knew the dynamic of vampire relationships and came to terms with the permanent nature of 'Edward and Bella', he was able to relish in his own happiness of being a grandfather yet again. Weirdness aside, Charlie fully recognized and didn't try to fight the fact that he was happy.

"Dad," Bella said in a cheery, yet tired tone. She had to admit to herself that since being a vampire, enduring the birth of a child was perhaps the only thing that actually left her feeling physically tired, even with Masen's assistance. She wasn't in pain, but she felt exactly as she'd felt as a human in regards to that physically exhausted feeling. Perhaps because she had only been a vampire a short time in comparison with everyone else her evaluation of the situation was much different. She compared it almost to running several miles at a time, or staying up extra late to study for three days strait. She was exhausted, yet blissfully happy all the same.

Charlie hugged his daughter, and accepted his grandson in his arms.

"Guess what we named him?" she asked.

He looked in her direction only for a brief second, unable to take his eyes away from the extraordinary child. "What?"

Bella looked at Edward and they shared a smile, "Charlie."

Her father looked more directly in her direction, but he cradled the baby with such care, as Sue hovered over him.

"Charlie Carlisle Cullen," she completed her sentence with a smile, glancing over toward Carlisle with a grin.

Edward chuckled, and Charlie looked almost honored to have his daughter name her son after him. Carlisle looked down somewhat shyly and smiled.

"Jacob was a close second," Bella added, "But..."

Renesme and Jacob stepped into the room upon hearing his name and the two of wore matching smiles.

"Not too weird?" Edward asked his daughter.

She hugged him for a long time and didn't let go. "Weird is who we are." The two of them laughed together and she kissed her father on the cheek. "I'm so happy for you and Mom."

Edward smiled as he hugged her, then allowed her the access to hold her younger brother, as Charlie handed him over.

"Hello Charlie," Renesme said with a grin, then looked up at her grandfather. "It's a perfect name."

He smiled, unable to hold it back, then made his way to Bella and hugged her longer than Renesme had Edward. He looked like he wanted to cry, but held back and allowed his daughter to give him a single kiss on the cheek.

"I love you Dad," she said, "I love you so much. I don't know what I would do without you."

Edward almost sulked at her words, knowing Charlie wouldn't be in Bella's life forever. He had contemplated changing him, even moreso than he had Bella, herself, but didn't ever seriously bring up the topic with anyone. He was thankful that no one could read his thoughts on the matter.

"I'm proud of you Bells," he told her, "I really am. You... you've turned into a wonderful, grown-up woman."

"Thanks Dad," she told him sincerely, finally again feeling what it was like to have tears in her eyes. She saw the similar shimmer in Edward's, and knew that it had to be something to do with the vampire couples having children that gave them the ability to do so. Neither of them could before that moment, but Bella felt like she could just bawl her eyes out, and intended to do so when things calmed down. She could finally enjoy the initial happiness of becoming a mother again.

When Renesme finally made her way over, Bella found herself unable to control her tears. She felt embarrassed at first, but then just let them roll down her face as she hugged her daughter. The reaction was a domino effect, as Renesme, Edward, Charlie and Sue all couldn't contain themselves. Carlisle backed away from the table and gave them all the personal space they needed. Even Jacob seemed choked up from Renesme and Charlie's reactions the most, though didn't actually shed a tear.

The elated, true happiness lingered in the company of everyone, and the countless members of their families all took turns congratulating Edward and Bella while welcoming the latest child into the world.

"Can we call him C.C?" Rosalie joked, making Bella laugh.

"We'll work on that one," she said back.

Carlisle, upon making sure Bella was alright, left her to spend some quality time with her father, Sue and Renesme. Edward remained by her side, occasionally popping back out into the hallway, gushing with happiness every time he spoke with a member of his family.

Esme had eventually gotten her turn to hold baby Charlie, and shared a long, motherly moment with Edward.

Everyone was happy, and eager to have another baby in the house; men and women equally.

Alice excused herself from the group for a moment, drawing only Carlisle and Jasper's attention. The two of them made subtle eye contact, and wandered to where she had made her self comfortable on one of the sofas.

She looked confused, though not dazed as if she was having a vision. When Carlisle and Jasper stood directly in front of her with eyes full of questions, she told them what was going on.

"I can't see Aro or Sulpicia anymore."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked, ask Jasper positioned himself next to her on the couch.

"I had been constantly keeping an eye on them. She's been expecting a child too, as I told you all while we were on Isle Esme. I just... I can't see her, the baby, Aro..." Alice shrugged, "None of them."

"Wolves?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know," Alice said back. She looked to Carlisle, who had his hands on his hips and his eyes squinted just slightly as he thought.

"Maybe the tribe from Montana..." Carlisle's voice trailed off. He wanted to talk to Cassandra to see if Shane had any insight.

"They would be justifiably seeking revenge," Jasper said, "Maybe they attacked when they knew they would be at their most vulnerable; when Aro's mate was having her child."

"How would they know when that would be?" Alice asked, "Or that she was even pregnant in the first place?"

"Cassandra and Shane are the links between our family and theirs," Carlisle reminded her, "If they were talking amongst themselves, I'm sure the word could have spread to others in Shane's family."

"Right, right." Alice nodded in full agreement. "That wouldn't have left them much planning time."

"It may have been a more impulsive, unplanned attack," Jasper said, "I understand that. It happened with Felix."

Alice put a hand on his shoulder. "I suppose it's not our concern... right?" Her eyes drifted to meet Carlisle's, as did Jasper's.

He sighed, "In time I'd like to get to the bottom of it just so we know. The more information we have, the less chance there is for surprises later. For now, I'd say keep us posted on everything Alice if you get another vision. I don't want to take anything away from Edward and Bella right now."

She nodded, "This could end up being a good thing." Alice shrugged her small shoulders.

Carlisle gave her a half smile and nodded back.

"I hope our theory is right," Jasper said aloud, "I hope they're gone."

Alice kissed him on the cheek and took his hand. The two of them walked ahead of Carlisle to continue their bombardment of the latest member of their family.

Esme made her way in to where Carlisle stood upon him sending a brief text message to her to come see him. He didn't want to alert anyone else at the time, though knew when the time was right he would inform Edward. He recognized that he was so happy that he hadn't even bothered to pay attention to the thoughts in their minds.

"There's not really news," Carlisle said, "But Alice isn't able to see the Volturi any longer."

She looked over her shoulder and closed the door, more out of habit than actual privacy. "What does that mean?"

He shrugged, "I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't be in the dark. We don't know why. I just spoke with her and Jasper, and one theory we came up with is that they were attacked by the Montana tribe, or wolves of some sort when Sulpicia was giving birth."

Esme put her hand by her mouth, and couldn't help but feel a small dose of pain from the thought. She knew how terrible Aro and his family could be, but upon being with Marshall all hours of the day, and holding newborn baby Charlie just moments ago, she couldn't fathom the idea or find joy in any way of a baby being harmed.

Carlisle put an arm over her shoulders, "It's just a theory. It's a thought. I know..." He gave her a look of sympathy, knowing what was going on in her mind.

She sighed, "I don't know how anyone else feels, but... I hope that didn't happen."

"I know." He kissed her on the temple and brought her to sat down with him where Alice and Jasper had been sitting moments ago. "We'll try to piece this together later, but I don't want to spread word to Edward or Bella just yet."

"Well, it might very well be some type of glitch right? Maybe the wolves are just in the area?"

Carlisle nodded, "Yes. It could be a number of things, but all in all, we're not in danger. We're all okay and Edward and Bella are happy. It really would have nothing to do with us if the wolves were lurking in Volterra."

Esme sighed and nodded back. "You're right. Yeah, I know. It really doesn't have anything to do with us."

He put an arm around her shoulders, "I just wanted to inform you on Alice's vision, or lack their of. Don't let it take away from your happiness, or contentment, or anything."

She nodded, realizing that their circumstances hadn't changed. She also recognized the slight possibility that the main members of the Volturi could possibly be gone. While she felt a slight bout of regret for feeling that way, knowing it would mean the casualty of Aro and Sulpicia's child, the thought of them being erased, gone, was something she couldn't deny would be a huge weight off their shoulders. Still, she prayed that the life of their baby was somehow spared if there was an attack."

"I don't want to upset you," Carlisle said, breaking her thoughts. "I just want you to be up to speed with what Alice told me."

Esme gave a small smile at first, then let it spread widely across her face. She placed a hand on Carlisle's face and kissed him once. "I'm happy."

He nodded, and she brushed his hair back, then stood up, pulling him up by the hand.

"Let's go try to steal baby Charlie away," she told him with a laugh.

"Where's Marshall?"

"Alex."

Carlisle nodded again and the two of them stared at each other.

"Nothing to do with us." Esme repeated his words.

He let them sink in, realizing there was no reason to be worried or upset. Whatever was going on was happening halfway across the world and had no direct relation to their family. On top of it all, Alice hadn't appeared event slightly worried; just confused and felt the need to share her lack of a vision with them.

Esme squeezed his hand and smiled again. "Maybe this will finally be our happily-ever-after."

Carlisle smiled, "The moment I met you was happily-ever-after. Whether we have a minute left, or a thousand years, I think we've conquered that notion."

She nodded and looked down, the kissed him and lead him back to their family by the hand. "I like the thousand years idea better," she whispered to him.

He tightened his grip around her, "Me too."

Alice gave them a smile, as they rejoined the rest of them. Alex made her way with Marshall, who was beginning to cry and reach out for Esme.

Bella looked up from where she still laid, halfway propped up with baby Charlie in arms. A smile clung to her face, and she looked down at her baby. "You'll get to play with Marshall soon."

Edward laughed and looked at her father, who still looked too choked up to talk.

Rosalie had managed to make her way up to Bella's side, and was stroking the baby's head lightly. Emmett stood just behind her, glowing in his own right because Rosalie was so happy, as she always was, when new babies arrived. Despite it being more of a regular, normal thing now, she still had the starry-eyed, natural motherly expression every time there was a new addition to their family.

Alice walked over to Charlie, and gave him a hug. "Congratulations to you, too, Grandpa."

He smiled, and laughed, drawing one tear from his eye that he wiped off right away. Sue laughed lightly and put a head on his shoulder, happy to see the emotion that rarely showed in her husband's tough exterior.

"Edward, Bella..." Alice said with a smile, "Congratulations to the beginning of a beautiful, _wonderful_ forever with little Charlie!"

Rosalie was the first to initiate a clap, then everyone joined in.

Esme sighed happily, finding reassurance in Alice's even, cheery tone. She looked at Carlisle, who glanced back and smiled.

The day brought just what Alice had said; another beautiful moment in forever.


	68. The End - Next Story

**Hey all thanks for reading my stories. I hope you enjoyed this one. I was debating how to end it, and decided to go with Bella &Edward welcoming baby Charlie into the world. If you have a minute, PM me or write a review letting me know what you thought of the ending.**

**My next story is called Blood Tides. I can't paste the link in here because it won't allow me to, but type in fan fiction dot net /s/10248484/1/Blood-Tides. **

**Thanks a lot for reading!**


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